Meredith ‘Max’ Hodges has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Shed, New York. She joins from one of the largest dance companies in the United States, Boston Ballet, where she has been Executive Director since 2014. Previously she held senior roles at Gallim Dance and the Museum of Modern Art, and brings with her two decades of experience at both nonprofit cultural organisations and the private sector.
Hodges takes over at The Shed from Alex Poots, who previously held the joint titles of both CEO and Artistic Director; he will now solely take on the role of Artistic Director. “The Shed is an entrepreneurial and future-focused cultural organization. It was built to anticipate the needs of artists, and the future of artmaking,” Hodges stated. “I’m passionate about audience-building and about access, and I’m thrilled at the possibilities inherent in The Shed’s mission, its physical space, and its art.”
During her time at Boston Ballet, the organisation’s endowment more than doubled, from $14M to $36M. Hodges also acted as a key leader in their commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, both on and off stage, supporting the company’s mission to commission historically underrepresented artistic voices and build broad audiences for artistic innovation.
Since opening in Manhattan in 2019, The Shed has showcased artists across fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theatre to literature, and sculpture to dance. Hodges will take up her new position from October 2023.