Illya Riske, Former State of Arizona Budget/Finance Administrator, Succeeds The Retiring Robert Schultz as Deputy Director of Mesa Arts Center and Department of Arts and Culture

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PRESS RELEASE City of Mesa Newsroom

Robert Schultz retires after 26 years with Mesa's Arts and Culture Department

By Casey Blake July 16, 2020 at 7:30

Assistant Director of Mesa Arts Center and Mesa's Department of Arts and Culture, Robert Schultz, retires July 17 after over 26 years of service, including playing a key role in managing the conception of and transition to Mesa Arts Center in its current facility on One East Main Street in 2005.

Schultz began with the City of Mesa as Visual Arts Supervisor in 1993 and retires from the position of Assistant Director of Mesa Arts Center and the Department of Arts & Culture.

 

He oversaw the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Arizona Museum of Natural History and i.d.e.a. Museum as well as the Engagement, Art Studios, Festivals and Volunteer programs at Mesa Arts Center.

Schultz also helped establish the City of Mesas public art program in 1998 and was the primary administrator. 

Schultz holds four degrees in art and art management and has held various leadership roles and board positions in the arts and culture field, including serving as president of the Museum Association of Arizona. He also served on the National Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts 2010-2016.
"Were proud of Rob's accomplishments and contribution to the City of Mesa. Rob played a pivotal part in Mesa Arts Centers programmatic growth and expansion to the incredible City facility we have today, and his leadership and commitment to arts and culture in the City leave a lasting impact. We congratulate him on his remarkable career,"

Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said.
"Were incredibly proud of the vibrancy that Mesas Arts and Culture Department brings to our city, and grateful for Robs many contributions toward sharing arts education, arts engagement and cultural experiences with everyone in our city and beyond,"

Mesa Mayor John Giles said.
Schultz is succeeded by Deputy Director of Mesa Arts Center and Department of Arts and Culture, Illya Riske, who began in the new position on February 18.

Riske previously served as

> Reimbursement Administrator for Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems (AHCCCS),

> Business Operations Manager for Arizona Department of Transportation,

> Finance Manager/Legislative Liaison for the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS)

> Senior Budget Analyst for the Arizona Governors Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.

Riske is also an accomplished musician and invested contributor to the arts and culture community of the greater Phoenix-metro area.

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Mesa's arts and cultural organizations including Arizona Museum of Natural History, i.d.e.a. Museum and Mesa Arts Center, remain temporarily closed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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ABOUT CITY OF MESA ARTS & CULTURE
Mesa's Department of Arts and Culture includes the Arizona Museum of Natural History, i.d.e.a. Museum and Mesa Arts Center, all located in downtown Mesa, Arizona.

The mission of the department is to strengthen, for all, the creative, social and economic fabric of our community and region through inspiring, relevant, engaging and transformational cultural experiences and cross-sector collaborations.
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RELATED CONTENT
Pandemic: A Health and Economic Crisis For Mesa Arts
By Srianthi PereraTribune Contributor
Mesa Tribune

"With the pandemic showing no signs of retreating in Arizona, the arts have taken a backseat in Mesa.

That’s not to say that the city’s arts groups are being complacent; they are working behind the scenes to resume operations as soon as it’s safe.

“We are very committed to bringing programming back as soon as we can do it safely and as soon as we have all our ducks in a row to make sure we can enact the new protocol,” said Cindy Ornstein, executive director of Mesa Arts Center and the director of Mesa Arts and Culture Department.

“We are very hopeful that we will at least have a very good array of programs available to the community sometime this fall.”

Closed since March, the arts center is working toward a plan to reopen in October. However, because of the situation’s changeability, the time of reopening isn’t definite . . .

Ornstein said that the arts center closed initially because of the health crisis – which, in turn, created financial pressures.

“Being closed, from a financial perspective, is detrimental, not helpful, because we cannot produce revenue,” she said. “Now, because we have this health crisis, there are extra factors beyond the health crisis that are created by the health crisis that affect the finances.”

Mesa Art Center laid off 12 full-time and 27 part-time employees.

Across the department, 14 full-time and 50 part-time staffers were eliminated.

“I call it a big, complex puzzle,” Ornstein said.

“We are neck-deep in that puzzle right now.”

The same broad issues caused by the pandemic are hampering the city’s private arts outfits.

> Mesa Encore Theatre, which canceled two mainstage shows and other events, is minimizing projected fall shows.

> Southwest Shakespeare also cancelled its spring and summer offerings and furloughed a few of its staff members.

> Mesa-based Showtunes Productions brings live professional productions, such as tribute and variety shows, throughout the country. . . Showtunes had to cancel its shows since mid-March and is awaiting the outcomes of the various venues.

At the Mesa Arts Center, while reopening shows are dependent on health safety, a cost benefit analysis is also important.

Backstage, front-of-house, bathrooms, concessions and other areas have to be configured differently. Social distancing inside theaters will mean lesser revenues.

The cost of opening must be weighed against the benefit to the public, Ornstein said