Grable hired as Montana Arts Council's arts education director

Press release

The Montana Arts Council announced it hired Monica Grable as the agency’s arts education director.

Grable began her duties Wednesday and replaces outgoing Arts Education Director Emily Kohring, who has moved with her family to St. Louis, Missouri.

“We bid Emily a fond farewell, and we welcome Monica to our team,” said Interim Co-Director Cinda Holt. “She brings the perfect skill set to the job, having been both an educator in our public school system, and a presenter of a successful performing arts series in the Bitterroot.”

Grable will be responsible for directing the agency’s arts learning initiatives. As the arts education director she is responsible for program design, evaluation as well as creating partnership opportunities to meet current needs and trends in the area of Montana’s arts education. The arts education director oversees the agency’s arts education granting programs and directs, plans and implements arts education policies.

Grable holds a master’s degree in education-curriculum and instruction from St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis. She is an arts professional with 24 years’ experience as an arts administrator, presenter, and visual arts educator specializing in programming authentic, multidisciplinary arts experiences for all ages.

Grable came to the Montana Arts Council from Hamilton School District No. 3 where she was a visual arts educator since 2012, teaching courses in painting, ceramics, mixed-media sculpture and introduction to art to students in grades nine through 12. She designed curricula for all courses, taught and led an effort to update course offerings to better accommodate student choice within the department and initiated and led after-school open studio sessions and summer studio.

As the executive director of the Hamilton Performing Arts Series, in Hamilton, Grable served in a primary leadership role to transition the series from its school district venue-run operation to an independent entity, guiding all aspects of operation for 12-performance subscription season.