Kelley Lindquist has been president of Artspace Projects since 1987. Under his leadership, Artspace has grown from a staff of one and an annual budget of $40,000 into the nation’s leading nonprofit developer of space for artists, with a staff of 75, a budget of $18 million (2013), with a total revenue of more than $30 million on its annual consolidated financial statements. The amount of consolidated annual revenue continues to increase as additional development projects are added to the Artspace portfolio.
Artspace’s portfolio of properties includes more than 40 major completed projects, all of which operate in the black. More than 1,500 affordable live/work residences for artists and their families are part of more than two million square feet of space Artspace has developed, owns and operates. This residential, studio, office and performance space represents an investment of more than half a billion dollars in America’s arts infrastructure.
During Mr. Lindquist’s tenure, Artspace has received a number of significant awards, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Honor Award for contributing to the revitalization of inner-city communities and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Best Practices in Affordable Housing Award.
Mr. Lindquist’s expertise has made him much in demand as a consultant and speaker, and he frequently speaks at national and international conferences and on college and university campuses on the role of artists and arts facilities in urban revitalization. Recent appearances include “On Cities and Creativity” at Cal Art’s REDCAT; “The Economic State of Major Arts Organizations” at The Cowles Center in Minneapolis; and “Art Works: A Discussion About Art Spaces and Communities” at the Times Center as part of The New York Times’ Times Talks series. While he remains actively involved in Artspace’s day-to-day operation, he increasingly focuses his energy on the broader task of restoring national confidence in America’s creative communities and on helping artists reclaim their rightful place in the national discussion about the role of the arts in American society.
Mr. Lindquist is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a degree in European history and an emphasis on Russian and German languages. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.