BUFFALO, NY.- The Board of Directors of The Center for Exploratory & Perceptual Arts announced that Claire Leggett has been appointed Executive Director.

Says Luke Cusack, President of CEPA’s Board of Directors, “Claire took over management of the organization and led us through an unplanned transition with poise and professionalism. Her demonstrable administrative strengths are a great fit for us as we plan for a second 50 years of CEPA successes.”

Leggett joined CEPA as Development Coordinator and was appointed Acting Executive Director following Véronique Côté’s departure in August 2022. A Western New York local, Leggett received her MS in Arts Administration from Boston University and her BA in History from SUNY Cortland. Prior to her tenure at CEPA, Leggett worked in various community-focused nonprofits, most recently serving as Program Administrator for FamilyAid in Boston, MA, where she managed over $2 million in grant monies.

“As a believer in the impact art has on us as individuals and as a community, it is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to lead an arts organization that has made such a difference to the people of Western New York,” says Leggett. “I’m grateful to the Board and thrilled to be looking ahead to CEPA’s 50th anniversary and beyond.”

Leggett's passion for the arts and nonprofits will guide CEPA through the Gallery’s 50th anniversary in 2024. She will steward the organization through its 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, focusing on setting CEPA up for long-term stability.

Located in Buffalo’s historic Market Arcade Complex, CEPA is a contemporary photography and visual arts center serving local and national communities. With three galleries of changing exhibits and events, multimedia public art installations, arts education programs, and an open-access darkroom and digital photo lab, CEPA creates a vibrant presence in the heart of downtown Buffalo.