[Updated 11/4/15 with a statement from 3S Artspace interim executive director Karil Reibold. — LC]
3S Artspace founder and artistic director Chris Greiner is taking a leave of absence from the arts organization through the end of 2015.
“I was asked by the organization to take a leave of absence, so I am taking what will be my first significant break from 3S in over six years,” Greiner said.
Greiner would not comment further on the reasons behind the leave, but added that it is “entirely unrelated” to a fight that took place outside the venue during the Defeater show on Friday, Oct. 30.
In a statement, interim executive director Karil Reibold said, Chris Greiner has worked tirelessly over the last six years to make 3S a reality and bring his dream to fruition. Greiner’s leave of absence had been previously planned and is unrelated to the incident on Friday night.
Greiner was initially the nonprofit’s executive director, but became the artistic director earlier this fall following a number of staff changes. Reibold, formerly the chair of 3S’s board of directors, was named interim executive director. Dan Hirsch, formerly the curator of performance and public programs and responsible for booking acts at the venue, is no longer listed as part of the staff on 3S’s website.
Regarding the staff changes, Reibold said in a statement, For a young nonprofit, experiencing challenges is inevitable. The key is how you respond to these challenges and maintaining a long-term view. After being open for seven months, we have had to adjust some of our operating and market assumptions and make changes to strengthen the organization as a whole. Specific steps we have taken include adjusting programming and creating the position of artistic director.
In the statement, Reibold said the board is searching for a new executive director for the organization. Reibold’s professional biography describes her as a results driven senior operating executive helping companies define their organizational strategy and how they execute to achieve results that drive stakeholder value. Other 3S board members directed media inquiries to Reibold. — Larry Clow