Akron, OHIO (September 19, 2025) — The Summit Artspace Board of Directors has named Natalie Grieshammer Patrick as executive director. The appointment follows a transitional leadership period after the departure of former Executive Director Heather Meeker in June to lead Curated Storefront, another Downtown Akron arts organization.
“We are thrilled to welcome Natalie as our new executive director,” remarks Kristen Nervo Dowey, Chair of the Board of Directors. “As an artist herself, and former board member before joining our staff five years ago, she brings a rare perspective that keeps our work deeply rooted in creativity and care for artists, while also guiding us thoughtfully into this next chapter. With the organization’s 10th anniversary next year, the upcoming 100th anniversary of our historic building, and a major county-supported construction project in progress, there is truly no one better suited to lead our organization forward. We are grateful for Heather’s steadfast leadership, which carried us to this moment, and excited to see Natalie build on that strong foundation with her own vision for the future.”
Natalie Grieshammer Patrick is an arts leader, artist, and curator from Akron, OH. Over the past decade, she has dedicated her visionary, results-driven leadership to serving local artists in Northeast Ohio. Grieshammer Patrick’s work is driven by the goals of empowering artists to create their own path to success and to create a more sustainable landscape for artists to call home.
Through her previous role as Director of Artist Resources at Summit Artspace, Grieshammer Patrick has made a significant impact on the organization, the artists it serves, and the community. Her contributions have been instrumental in defining how Summit Artspace serves local artists and carries out its mission. Over her tenure, she reimagined its galleries and hallway spaces throughout the building to more strategically serve exhibiting artists and engage visitors while expanding artist professional development programs, grounding them in research from nationally based organizations to ensure they address artists’ most pressing needs.
In addition to leading artist-serving initiatives, Grieshammer Patrick has been influential in creating a more financially stable organization in partnership with previous Executive Director, Heather Meeker. Natalie’s work at Summit Artspace has included strategic planning, relationship building, and fundraising. Her concepts for new artist programs led to transformative grants from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, Peg’s Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council.
“I am deeply honored to be entrusted by the Board of Directors as Summit Artspace’s next executive director,” states Natalie Grieshammer Patrick, Executive Director. “This is made especially humbling following the much-recognized success by my predecessor, Heather Meeker, and leading into exciting milestones for the organization. Deepening Summit Artspace’s commitment to artist-centeredness will be my foundation while leading the organization into its next phase of growth and sustainability.”
Before transitioning to a staff role at Summit Artspace in early 2021, Grieshammer Patrick served on the Board of Directors in 2020. Previous arts leadership roles include Gallery Director at Praxis Fiber Workshop, Donor & Member Program Manager at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Arts & Programming Manager at Akron Soul Train. She served as a member of the Community Advisory Council at the Akron Art Museum beginning in 2022. In 2021, Grieshammer Patrick was the recipient of the 30 for the Future Award by Greater Akron Chamber, which recognizes up and coming leaders in the community.
For over fifteen years, Grieshammer Patrick has been a practicing fiber artist. She employs non-traditional materials to create large-scale weavings that highlight the celebrations and challenges of feminine identity. Her artwork has been shown in galleries and museums throughout Northeast Ohio including at the Akron Art Museum, McDonough Museum of Art, and Transformer Station. Natalie is also a partner and strategic advisor at Akron Recording Company, which she founded with her husband in 2017.
Grieshammer Patrick holds an M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Akron and B.F.A. in Fiber and Material Studies from the Cleveland Institute of Art.
