Save the Emerson!

I worked at the Emerson as the education director/curator. A position that has experienced multiple turnovers. I wrote a statement to the board of directors explaining my experience with the Executive Directors abusive and bullying behavior. The change the board promised obviously has not happened. During my employment, the Executive Director would scream at me, using the f-word multiple times. Unlike her portrayal in the recent article in the Bozeman Chronicle, this was not her “direct nature.” She was screaming at her employees, often using cusswords, and derogatory comments. The board has not only stood by and witnessed this behavior, which in my mind is neglect, but would not listen to the employees when they needed help. The board should step down, and the director should be replaced instantly. She can try to come for me for retribution, but everything I say here is true, and backed up by witnesses. To the board of directors, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

I’ve watched great, talented artists leave this building due to her so-called leadership

Get rid of this poor divise choice on your part!

The emerson could be so much better than it is... pretty sad that Bozeman's center for arts and culture does so little for arts and culture. And yes... I've been spoken to very rudely by the person in question.

Yes, I can attest to the unprofessional conduct of the ED in particilar.

Get the emerson back

I have heard this kind of negative review about the director from many folks in Bozeman. It was my dream to work at the Emerson, having worked in museums and gallery spaces for my entire career. I was told by literally every person I spoke to with knowledge or experience with the Emerson that I dodged a toxic work environment that has a long history of poorly treated staff members… I am signing this in solidarity with many trusted friends and community members that I look up to. The Emerson is an incredible community art space. I understand that managing such a nuanced entity in a small community must be challenging but if everyone in the community disapproves of your management- change is probably needed.

I worked with her prior to her position ant the Emerson and she made me feel awful. This was over 15 years ago, but I still remember how she made me feel. I quit my job over her! I had hoped it was just me and she’d be better at the Emerson. I have always been nervous that I’d run into her at there, and this often colored my view and feeling towards the space.

The way I’ve seen Susan speak to people is appalling and she always reads like she’s in the middle of crisis management which probably has a lot more value outside of a community/art/historic/events/inclusive space but I digress. I have many examples of Susan using poor communication skills, speaking in aggressive tones, and her consistently unwelcoming demeanor but what sticks with me is how she treats her staff. You can tell a lot about people based on how they treat their people and what I’ve seen is excruciating to witness. Side note - my friend sent this to me because she’s heard me continually talk about this when we’ve been to an Emerson event. Such a sour note really but my fave memory is of my friend who - continually tries to see the best that all people have to give - attempted to ask with her about a super-minor question while Susan was ”welcoming” folks to their seats. My friend was quickly and harshly reprimanded and sent back with her tail between her legs and no actual outcome to make the experience worth it. PS: the question was just whether or not the mezzanine was open that night. Preposterous!

A dear friend worked at the Emerson. Despite a passion for the arts and love for the job, they quit due to the abusive, disrespectful behavior of the executive director. We can’t expect our center of arts and culture to thrive in a toxic environment. I am saddened by the failure of the Emerson leadership - executive director and board alike - to support staff, artists and our community. I hope the board sees the necessity of finally taking this matter seriously. This petition and its comments clearly show a pattern, and prove that management and the board have been alerted to the issues many times over many years and failed to act. Remedies that are performative rather than substantive will further erode trust in the leadership and endanger continued community support of the Emerson.

It saddens me that an organization whose mission is to "provide access to art in a courteous, inclusive, and safe setting" is doing the opposite of just that. This abuse and behavior has gone on long enough. Susan is not the right fit for the mission of this organization and it is having a lasting effect on our community. I volunteer with two different groups that have had ongoing events at the Emerson for the past several years. One group was asked to leave by Susan for what I interpreted as vindictive and unreasonable reasons, even though this group was bringing hundreds of people to the Emerson every year for a community wide family-friendly event. The other group has been disrespected on countless occasions, despite bringing in thousands of dollars of rental revenue for the Emerson every year. Under any other circumstances, an employee who has had so many complaints against her, who has been abusive, unprofessional, and led to so much staff turnover (which I have witnessed in Susan's tenure) and who has precipitated the loss in income of tens of thousands of dollars would have been fired long ago. The board of directors should do the right thing, remember what the mission of the Emerson is, and let Susan go.

When the current ED was hired, she chose to dismiss the longtime, professional and experienced gallery director. She acted autocratically and, in doing so, the gallery lost a lot of community interest and support. Since that time, the Emerson has had a turnover in gallery directors and in the process lost its standing as one of the leading contemporary art centers in the region; it no longer draws the community at opening receptions, nor the interest of many area artists and collectors. The Emerson needs an ED who strongly supports the sizable community of contemporary artists in the region and who can work with a professional gallery director to lead this function.

Time for this lady to GO.

Same the Emerson

Susan hasn't really done me wrong, but I could see that working for her wasn't going to work out and I passed up a good opportunity. Also, The Emerson once was and should still be the heart of our local music scene but there's been nothing but road blocks whenever I have tried to throw events there. I saw Leo Kottke and John Mayer in the Emerson but it's sadly been years since the Emerson was relevant to Bozeman's music scene.

I was called thoughtless and unprofessional in a written memo from the ED after attending a workshop on best practices for non profit entities.

I don't understand why this horrible culture continues. Why isn't the board of directors doing it's job? How many people is it going to take?

The artists are miserable under this leadership. They are leaving. The Emerson is coming undone and Bozeman will lose a true gem if the board continues to ignore the issues

My daughter had a place there and was not treated very well.

That’s so devastating. Please share your story with reporter Nora Shelly. [email protected]