Celebrating a Decade of Progress
Margot has been instrumental in providing leadership and direction to the organization since she joined in November 2011. “Djerassi Resident Artists Program has opportunities to advance the work it does to support artists in what I call the 'next-normal.' Our mission has never mattered more,” Knight shares. “The self-inquiry provoked by sheltering-in-place has been transformative. I have been a cultural worker in public history, art and the humanities for over four decades. Now I have books to write, protests to make, candidates to support and countries to see.”
Under her leadership, the Djerassi Program increased the number and diversity of resident artists and added Scientific Delirium Madness, a residency devoted to the intersecting ideas of artists and scientists. The Program added new partnerships, including the development of workshops/retreats, a dedicated environmental stewardship program and The Playwrights Initiative to elevate new voices in the theater. The Program also forged new collaborations with the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network, Kinetech’s Y-Exchange, LEONARDO, The Ocean Memory Project, New BlackFest, Latinx Theatre Commons, Stanford University and several international residency programs, adding residencies for Cuban and African artists. Knight launched a major land and buildings initiative to improve the safety and experience of resident artists and staff. Under her tenure, the Program also established a staffed office in San Francisco, launched a docent program for sculpture hikes and tripled its permanent endowment.
"We are immensely grateful to Margot for her years of dedicated service to the Djerassi Program," shares our board chair, SF philanthropist Victoria Lilienthal. “We all know that she has worked tirelessly to give artists the time to
‘just be
.’”
The Board of Trustees is working to complete a new strategic plan and secure interim leadership. We'll have more to announce soon.
In these times of change, we've never been more grateful for our community. With support from all of you—our artists, donors and friends—we know the future of Djerassi Resident Artists Program is bright.
Board of Trustees
Djerassi Resident Artists Program
