Sewickley’s Sweetwater Center for the Arts names new executive director
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Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley has named borough resident Christine Brondyke as its new executive director.
Brondyke brings experience in development and donor relations, event management and customer service in nonprofit organizations to the role.
“We are really thrilled to have Christine leading an organization in the community where she lives and is raising her children,” said Sarah Aziz, president of the art center’s board of directors. “She has great vision and great fundraising skills that are crucial to the success of organizations of our size.”
Brondyke comes to Sweetwater from Pittsburgh Opera, where she was manager of corporate development and special events.
“I’m raising my family (in Sewickley), and Sweetwater is a gem within the community,” Brondyke said. “I want to be part of the community and to develop and grow this asset in the community where I live.”
Brondyke said her mission at Sweetwater will be to develop and strengthen the donor base.
“My strength lies in development, and they were looking for someone with experience in raising funds and growing the organization financially,” she said. “From that side, you also grow the creative side with new ideas and new programs.”
In smaller nonprofit organizations such as Sweetwater, the executive director often is the lead fundraiser, Aziz said.
“Developing relationships within the community is an important part of that,” she said. “Coming from Pittsburgh Opera, Christine already has some of those relationships.”
Located at 200 Broad St., Sweetwater offers about 400 classes, workshops and lectures annually in the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts for people of all ages and skill levels.
The center also offers free and low-cost musical performances, educational lectures and exhibitions featuring local, regional, national and international artists. Through these programs and fundraising events, Sweetwater annually supports more than 300 emerging and professional artists, musicians and teachers throughout the region.
A native New Yorker, Brondyke started her career organizing various events for the Hilton hotel chain.
She and her husband moved to Pittsburgh in 2012, and she went to work for the University of Pittsburgh in its VIP ticketing service. Since then, she also has worked for nonprofit arts organizations and has been a consultant for the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley.
“We were looking for a more liveable city,” she said. “Pittsburgh is an up-and-coming city with a bustling arts scene, and we liked that.”
The couple now has two sons, ages 7 and 5.
Brondyke will assume her role at Sweetwater on Monday.