Deep Twin Cities roots and a national record of artistic excellence and growth position Motes to shape the organization’s next chapter
Kimberly Motes is returning home.
Hennepin Arts has named Motes President and Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than three decades of national leadership driving artistic excellence, institutional growth and community impact. Currently Executive Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, she will begin Monday, Nov. 30.
Deep roots in Minnesota During 22 years in Minnesota, Motes held senior leadership roles at Children’s Theatre Company, Theater Latté Da, the Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts, the University of St. Thomas and the College of Saint Benedict. She has long admired Hennepin Arts’ vital role in strengthening the vibrancy of downtown Minneapolis through arts and culture. She looks forward to working alongside the team to bring exceptional world-class live arts and entertainment experiences, as well as statewide arts education programs, to a community she cares about deeply.
A record of artistic excellence and growth Since 2023, Motes has led Chicago Shakespeare Theater with Artistic Director Edward Hall, producing more than 35 plays and musicals, including 10 world and North American premieres and two Broadway transfers. In three years, ticket revenue increased 67%, total earned revenue rose 60% and contributed revenue grew 20%.
Motes began her career at The Washington Ballet, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Arena Stage. That national perspective and her Minnesota roots position her to lead Hennepin Arts’ next chapter of growth and impact.
Building a more vibrant Hennepin Theatre District As President and CEO, Motes will lead Hennepin Arts as a cultural, civic and economic anchor for the performing arts in Minnesota, including its world-class programming, education and workforce programs. She will also oversee historic preservation and modernization investments, including the project underway at 900 Hennepin and the Orpheum Theatre,
She joins an organization whose four historic theaters welcome more than 600,000 visitors from all 87 Minnesota counties each year. One Broadway season alone delivers more than $68 million in downtown economic impact, and its education programs engage more than 8,000 students statewide. A connector who brings people together around shared objectives, Motes will help guide investments toward an even more vibrant Hennepin Theatre District and a dynamic, bustling downtown.
Photo credit: Dani Werner