Harvard Taps Megan for Top Arts Position

Jack Megan, a longtime arts administrator in the Boston area, has been appointed the next director of Harvard's Office for the Arts (OFA).

Myra Mayman, who has held the position for 28 years, will step down in July.

The Office for the Arts is in charge of organizing the annual Arts First weekend, sponsoring lecture series, awarding grants to students and running a ceramics and a dance program.

Megan, whose appointment was announced late last week, said that the goals of OFA jibe with his own beliefs about the significance of the visual and performing arts to undergraduates.

After two years as director of development of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Megan became the associate director of the Longy School of Music in 1986.

During his 12 years at Longy, Megan initiated a capital campaign, started a Master of Music program. A scholarship fund has been created in his name.

In addition to his longstanding interest in arts management, Megan is also a performer.

He is a jazz pianist and a writer, predominantly for children's theatre.

Megan, who spent the vast majority of his college years at Holy Cross on the stage, said he believes strongly in the importance of art to supplement a traditional education.

"I was a real theatre rat," he said. "That's where I found my most meaningful relationships and insight on the world."

Megan said bringing his experiences in the performing arts to undergraduates--through grants and programs like Arts First--is a mission that is "close to [his] heart."

"For my whole professional life and much of my teenage and college years, I've been immersed in theatre and music," Megan said. "These are things I really love."

Megan said that when he assumes the post at the beginning of July, his first item of business will be to talk to students and start planning student-oriented arts events.

"I know students will love working with [Megan]; he has a cheerful personality and loves connecting with new people," Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis `68 wrote in an e-mail.

While Mayman chose not to participate in the search process for her successor, she said her first impression of Megan was overwhelmingly positive.

"He is an immediately likeable person who is passionately committed to the arts," Mayman said.

She said she hopes that under Megan's leadership, the OFA will work to sponsor events that tie the arts to national issues.

She said she has already talked to students at the Institute of Politics about co-sponsoring speakers and programs that would join art and foreign policy, for instance.

"There are so many interesting topics and questions about how arts affect education and the community," Mayman said. "Art is a part of life and a lot of people don't think that."

But she said Megan need not feel tied to any existing OFA goals--and should feel comfortable defining the role of the OFA in the University.

"Megan is stepping into a strong and positive situation with a great group of people," Mayman said. "The key is that he's really interested in what he's doing."

And after 28 years as OFA director, Mayman said she looks forward to relaxing and taking advantage of the resources that the OFA has to offer.

"I hope to be a hanger-on, just enjoying the richness," she said.

--Staff writer Daniela J. Lamas can be reached at lamas@fas.harvard.edu.