Director, Forbes Center Performing Arts

Director, Forbes Center for the Performing Arts

N/A

Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Full-Time

Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College of Visual and Performing Arts

100551 - College of Visual and Performing Arts

N/A

Commensurate with Experience

No

No

No

11/1/2026

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at James Madison University (JMU) enthusiastically invites applications for the position of Director of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. This 12-month administrative appointment offers an exciting opportunity to lead one of the region's premier performing arts venues and to contribute to the vibrant cultural life of the university and the Shenandoah Valley.

At JMU, you'll join a community committed to artistic integrity, scholarly inquiry, and creative engagement. The Forbes Center serves as a dynamic hub for world-class performances, student and faculty productions, and community outreach, ensuring that the arts remain vital, relevant, and accessible to all.

Opened in 2010, the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art facility that hosts hundreds of performances annually, including internationally acclaimed artists, faculty and student productions, and educational programs. In 2025, the Forbes Center celebrated its 15th Anniversary Masterpiece Season, marking a decade and a half of artistic excellence and cultural leadership in the Shenandoah Valley. The Center features five performance venues and serves as a bridge between the university and the community, fostering cultural enrichment and engagement through programming, masterclasses, and outreach initiatives such as Any Given Child and Forbes Family Fun.

The Director provides leadership and day-to-day operational oversight for the Forbes Center, working closely with the CVPA Dean to shape compelling performance seasons, grow audiences, and support the Center's operations and facilities. This is a strong opportunity for a creative, entrepreneurial arts administrator with fresh ideas and a clear point of view on performing arts programming to step into a visible leadership role.

The successful candidate will curate engaging seasons, support budget and staff management, and collaborate with faculty, students, and community partners to…