New Bedford Art Museum Director Headed to Fall River

The Director of the New Bedford Art Museum on Pleasant St. has taken a new job as Executive Director of the Fall River Arts and Cultural Coalition.  Ashley Occhino will begin her new job on January 18th.

"It is my pleasure to welcome Ashley Occhino to the Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition's team,” said Kathy Castro, Co-Chair of FRAAC. “The City stands poised for an Arts Renaissance, and I can think of no one better to lead this movement than Ashley. The experience and knowledge she brings will take us to new levels of growth in serving our arts organizations and independent artists. Working together, there is so much we can accomplish.”

According to a press release announcing Occhino's hiring, as Executive Director, Occhino will be tasked with shepherding the implementation of the multi-year plan and will be pivotal in FRACC toward its goal of fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable creative economy in the city.

Occhino is a graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth. In a statement released by the Art Museum"s Board of Directors, Occhino said her four years at the helm of the NBAM have been good ones.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in my years here at NBAM,” Occhino said. “It’s quite something to think of how the museum has changed, both physically and programmatically, since I first arrived — not least the participation in the state-wide Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative, an opportunity that defined my time here. The museum as it is today is so vibrant and full of life, with programs and events that the local community enjoys. It’s been an honor to work with the most incredible team of staff, trustees, and volunteers, who just amaze me with their endless passion and creativity, and who I know I will miss greatly.”

The Board says it will establish a multi-faceted committee to initiate and conduct a search for Occhino’s replacement.