Kala Art Institute

Ellen Lake / Executive Director & Co-Director

co-directs Kala with the Artistic Director, In addition, she oversees the business office and development efforts at Kala, specializing in grant writing, working with the Board and Founding Director on fundraising initiatives, and creating a productive and thriving organization. She has over 15 years experience working in the arts and non-profit organizations in the Bay Area, from development, strategic planning, and financial management to grant writing, community partnerships, and public art. She received her MFA from Mills College in 2002 and a BA from Amherst College in 1991. She is a recipient of a 2018 Rauschenberg Residency award for artists/arts administrators, 2016 California Arts Council Artists Activating Communities grant, 2015 City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program, 2014 Alternative Exposure/Southern Exposure grant and 2012 Experimental Media Arts Lab residency at Stanford University.