Hermitage Artist Retreat's board names new executive director

Ever since March, when Bruce Rodgers’ plans to retire at the end of the year as executive director of the Hermitage Artist Retreat became public knowledge, there has been a great deal of anticipation, particularly as the calendar pages kept flipping, about who would replace him.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat Board ended the speculation Wednesday, introducing Andy Sandberg as the retreat’s new artistic director and executive director.

“We’re very excited to have Andy shepherd in a new wave of leadership for the Hermitage,” says Hermitage Board of Trustees President Leslie Edwards in a press release statement.

The national search to find a successor to Rodgers, who has served as Hermitage Artist Retreat’s director since its inception in 2005, drew far more interest than was anticipated, Edwards says, and the candidate pool was deep with talented individuals. However, in the end, the choice was unanimous.

“Andy emerged as a forward-thinking leader ready to serve our mission with enthusiasm and integrity; he was our unanimous choice, says Edwards. “We were wowed by his passion, vision, fresh ideas, and charisma — and his extensive experience nurturing artists and their projects is invaluable to us. We were fortunate to find someone of Andy’s caliber to lead this organization at this critical juncture and proud to put our future in his hands.”

Sandberg, who won a Tony Award in 2009, when he was just 25, for his production of “Hair”,  will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s operations, artistic programs, administration and strategic plan. He is a graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in English and Theater Studies. His theatrical work has been represented in New York City, London and throughout the United States. And he has a reputation within the theater community as a champion of new work and artistic development.

Sandberg is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Actors’ Equity Association and the Off-Broadway League. He has served on the boards of The Browning School, the Yale Dramatic Association, the Whiffenpoof Alumni Association, and twas a founder and longtime president of the Yale Alley Cats Alumni Organization. He currently serves as president of the Browning Alumni Association.

“I’m honored to lead the Hermitage into this exciting next chapter of its history,” says Sandberg. “Throughout my career, I have been an advocate for new work, and the Hermitage provides artists an invaluable opportunity to nurture bold ideas while planting the seeds for great works of art to sprout up around the country and throughout the world. I look forward to being part of this extraordinary tradition and working with a brilliant and diverse group of artists across multiple disciplines to achieve their artistic goals. I’m eager to build on the organization’s impressive history while also reimagining what’s possible for the Hermitage in the years ahead.”