CINCINNATI.- In coordination with the previous announcement on September 24, the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) announced today the appointment of Andrée Hymel Bober to Acting Director effective January 1, 2004.  Bober will succeed current Director Charles Desmarais, as he transitions into his Curator-at-Large position.

"In addition to her wealth of experience and extensive education, Andrée is a perfect choice for the position because of her inherent understanding of the CAC’s purpose, programs and constituents from her role as Deputy Director," said Joe Hale, Chairman of the CAC Board of Trustees." Andrée’s fresh perspective and new energy will move us forward so that we may continue the momentum that recent accomplishments-in particular, the new building-created."

Bober came to Cincinnati in 1999 to prepare the CAC for its new home by leading the development of the institution’s strategic plan and strengthening its administrative infrastructure. During her tenure as Deputy Director, she initiated a Visitors Services department to develop and manage all aspects of visitor access and hospitality. Bober presided over annual operating budgets of more than $3.5 million and managed a capital budget of $35 million. In addition, she introduced the concept to leverage a $17.2 million municipal bond issuance, resulting in uninterrupted construction of the new building and generating an additional $10.8 million for endowment and $7.5 million for operating support. Bober will serve as Acting Director while the board continues its aggressive search for a new director.

"I came here to be a part of this amazing project because I saw how important this building would be for the arts community and for Cincinnati," Bober said. "With the CAC having just completed a period of rapid expansion, I am honored that the board has asked me to serve as Acting Director so that I may guide the CAC into its next phase of development and refinement."

A native Texan, Bober received her master’s in arts administration from Columbia University/Teachers College and is the author of Museum Directorship: A Digest of Contemporary Opinion. Before entering Columbia University, she studied painting conservation in Vienna, Austria.

The Rosenthal Center, which opened on May 31, 2003, was declared an "instant icon" by Architecture magazine in it recent issue, citing nearly unprecedented critical acclaim worldwide. The New York Times called the building, designed by Zaha Hadid, "the most important American building to be completed since the end of the cold war."