Celebrating Outgoing Director India Downes-Le Guin
and Looking Forward to a Bright Future
Dear Hoffman Community,
After a nearly four-year tenure as the first Executive Director at the Hoffman Center for the Arts (HCA), India Downes-Le Guin is leaving her position to take on a new role as part of the team stewarding the literary estate of her grandmother, Ursula K. Le Guin, and the Ursula K. Le Guin Foundation.
To ensure a seamless transition, India will remain with HCA until a new Executive Director is on board and ready to lead, through early June, or as needed. The organization’s programming and events will be supported and continue as planned in 2026, including a robust schedule of workshops and lectures, the artist studio tour in July and our youth summer art camp.
We know this is bittersweet news, but we are grateful to India for positioning HCA for long-term sustainability, and are excited that she will remain a strong supporter of the arts here in North County communities.
As a result of India’s leadership, HCA is on very solid footing. In the last four years, HCA has achieved major strategic milestones and has all the key components in place to ensure our long-term vitality, including financial health and a strong core of programs that expand access to arts and culture across the Oregon Coast.
Starting in mid-February, HCA’s Board of Directors will guide a formal executive search led by Board President Janice Slonecker Berman, who also led the last successful search.
To all of our committed volunteers, teachers, community members, and partners—we are so grateful for your support and we look forward to writing, glazing, art-making, gardening, learning, and creating with you all for years to come.
Warmly,
Board of Directors
Hoffman Center for the Arts