Jim Griffith is stepping down effective in October from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center to assume a position as Executive Director of the Sante Fe Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico, marking a new chapter in his distinguished career in the arts.
Griffith’s journey as Davis Art Center founder and CEO began in 1997, when he established Florida Arts, a nonprofit corporation with the stated intention of creating a cultural hub in downtown Fort Myers. That was a tall order, as downtown Fort Myers was unsightly, run-down and a largely non-functional part of town at that time.
In fact, matters were so dire that locals and out-of-towners typically avoided the River District, forcing many retail businesses and eating establishments to close their doors and relocate.
Griffith’s vision materialized six years later, when he secured from Fort Myers a 99-year lease for the former post office and federal courthouse on First Street that the City had recently acquired from the federal government.
“When the federal courthouse building became available, it just said ‘art center’ all over it," Griffith said several years later. "I paid the rent for the entire 99-year term in advance.”
But rehabilitating the dilapidated historic landmark and transforming it into a visual and performing arts center was a daunting task.
But notwithstanding the economic downturn that began in 2007 and continued through 2011, Griffith and Florida Arts, Inc. raised approximately $3.2 million of the estimated $6 million needed for the massive rehabilitation project, completing most of the restoration required on the first floor of the 23,000 square-foot building.
Griffith and Florida Arts would go on to raise more than $14 million through grants and various capital campaigns, converting the venue into a world-class visual and performing art and educational center in the process.
Within the Center, Griffith spearheaded such initiatives as the development of Six Fingers Recording Studios, the Davis School of Music and Visual Arts, and Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden. This facility now stands as a leading venue for visual and performing arts and education in the region, catalyzing economic revitalization and establishing Fort Myers as a prominent cultural destination.
Under Griffith’s leadership, efforts to revitalize a formerly blighted historic district earned Fort Myers recognition as one of the "Best Cities on the Rise" by Southern Living Magazine.
“We are deeply grateful for Jim’s exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, and our entire community,” said board chair and former Mayor Randy Henderson. “His immeasurable contributions have significantly enhanced the lives of so many Fort Myers residents. While we will miss him and Kara … we celebrate their accomplishments and are excited for them as they embark on new opportunities with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and put down roots in that lucky new community.”
“I am incredibly honored to have been a piece of such a dynamic and passionate team who built the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center from the ground up, with so much help and enthusiasm from the entire community,” Griffith stated in connection with the press release the Art Center issued announcing his departure.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside so many talented individuals and to contribute to the cultural vitality of Fort Myers,” Griffith added. “I am thrilled about the next chapter, joining the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and that community. I look forward to all of the new professional and personal opportunities it will bring to me and my family.”
The SBDAC Board of Directors has appointed the current Assistant Director, Devon Parker, as the interim CEO and President, “which will ensure a smooth transition for the center’s ongoing programs and initiatives.”
An announcement regarding Griffith’s permanent successor will be made in the coming months.
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Griffith was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree at the Manhattan School of Music and his master’s degree at The Juilliard School. At Juilliard, he studied with Lillian Fuchs and Paul Doktor and honed his chamber music skills with Felix Galimir, Dorothy Delay, and the Juilliard String Quartet.
He debuted at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and has toured Europe and the Far East with various New York orchestras. His time in New York City allowed him to collaborate with leading solo and chamber musicians.
He spent summers at the Aspen Music Festival and as a faculty member at the Point Counterpoint Chamber Music Camp in Middlebury, Vermont.
Griffith previously co-founded the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, Gulf Coast Music School, and the New Arts Festival.
The New Arts Festival, a multidisciplinary festival for chamber music, theater, and modern dance (and a precursor of the SBDAC), brought esteemed performing artists to Florida. Each summer, over 150 students from around the globe traveled to downtown Fort Myers to study under the festival's distinguished faculty and enjoy world-class performances and instruction.
As an arts executive, Griffith combines expertise, strong vision, limitless determination, and a deep passion for music with exceptional business acumen. His career uniquely blends senior leadership in the arts with extensive experience in construction, historic preservation, and property management.
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To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall's website: SWFL Art in the News.