Retreat

DATES
August 20–23, 2025

LOCATION
Bay Chamber Concerts Camden, Maine

Next Leaders/ New Strategies Retreat

The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for chief executives in the arts to come together.

Together with WolfBrown, Goldsmith Strategies co-hosts a four-day arts leadership retreat in beautiful Midcoast Maine. The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for chief executives in the arts to come together, share experiences, and learn from one another and from experts in the field. With a dozen participants hailing from different backgrounds and holding the top leadership position across a spectrum of arts organizations, this retreat promises to be a valuable and confidential space for networking, problem-solving, and skill-building. Over the course of the time together, leaders will have the chance to connect with peers, share triumphs and challenges, and seek solutions to common issues facing the arts community.

One especially distinctive aspect of the retreat is the customized curriculum, built around the cohort of leaders. Whether seeking to improve fundraising strategies, strengthen organizational governance, or address any number of individual or organizational challenges, leaders will have the opportunity to share their needs in advance in order to build a retreat program that is relevant and constructive. We hope you will join us.

Retreat Directors

Featured

Stanford Thompson

Principal at Goldsmith Strategies

Time Commitment & Preparation

Participants are required to attend all sessions and encouraged to complete all pre-reading to ensure a meaningful learning experience for everyone in the group. After submitting an application, each leader completes an assessment survey and participates in an interview with the retreat faculty to share their personal leadership and organizational situations. The faculty also weighs each participant’s leadership strengths and development opportunities to inform the content of the retreat.

“I want you to know that my experience in Maine was my best professional development experience ever and I speak as someone who’s done many trainings and two fellowships in my 20+ year career.”

—Taneshia Nash Laird, President & CEO, Greater Roxbury Arts & Cultural Center
“The depth and the care with which everything was crafted, adapted, and continues to wrap around us has been invaluable … The gentle yet deliberate facilitation helped me have the time that was necessary to unpack and sort through some critical points with allies and experts allowing me to refocus in a noisy time.”

—DeLashea Strawder, Executive and Artistic Director, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit
“I came with a lot of questions for my organization and not quite sure where I needed to focus my energy going forward. I left with some real clarity, energy, and an extended community of executive directors and colleagues to call upon. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for the care and intention you put into the experience.”

—Elizabeth Moulthrop, Executive Director, El Sistema USA
“The Rockport Leadership Retreat provided a great opportunity to examine my organization's Board/ED relationships with feedback from Executive Director colleagues and leaders in the arts. This peer feedback paired with Dennie Palmer Wolf and Thomas Wolf's expertise provided a game plan for difficult conversations around board roles and responsibilities back home. Our organization is much better off.”

—Ahmad Mayes, Executive Director, Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach

Tuition and Fees

The retreat tuition is $2,450 and includes all materials, meals, and activities. All travel and accommodation expenses are the responsibility of each participant—access to a vehicle is strongly encouraged. A refundable deposit of $250 is needed by February 1, 2025 to reserve your place in the cohort. Deposits made on/after February 1, 2025 are nonrefundable.

Contact: info@goldsmithstrategies.com

APPLY