Anyone who has spent more than thirty minutes with Kathy Sharpless knows the definition of a no-nonsense loving mother. One you can’t put anything past! And so, we couldn’t be more excited to announce that Kathy, with her warm smile and poignant questions, has joined the Now + There Board of Directors.
Kathy brings to the Board more than thirty five years of experience in marketing, communications, and strategic planning. She has been a staunch N+T supporter since day one, helping us tell our story from behind the scenes, and we know she’ll continue to be invaluable in helping us chart our path forward as a dedicated, adventurous, and thoughtful public art producer.
Most recently, Kathy held the position of Director of Marketing and Communications at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she helped shape the way the museum lives into their directive to be a place “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” Overseeing all brand and strategic positioning, internal and external communications, advertising, and public relations, she played an active role in building the museum's community outreach and engagement initiatives, developing a communications approach that makes the museum one of the most invitational and accessible art institutions in Boston.
Prior to the Gardner Museum, Kathy spent many years as Managing Director at Putnam Investments in charge of all corporate communications, domestically and internationally. In her first corporate job, Kathy rose through the ranks to Senior Vice President/Group Director at Hill, Holliday, Boston’s largest advertising agency, where she worked on a broad array of clients and categories including John Hancock, Infiniti, Ocean Spray, Puma, and more. In addition, she was also Director of Design, the agency’s most profitable concentration.
Kathy is a Trustee of the Boston Arts Academy Board and BAA Foundation Board, Boston’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts. She is a past Chair of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation Board and served on the Board of Trustees there for 10 years. She is Founder/past Chair of the MassArt Corporate Advisory Council that serves as the primary liaison between the college and the business community.
Kathy started her career as a public school art teacher and is passionate about the role of the arts in education.