Sandy Havas isn’t embarrassed that she was the second choice for the job of executive director at the Eccles Community Art Center.
Another applicant was selected, but about six months later, Havas received a call from the center’s board president.
“He said, ‘The lady is leaving us — she doesn’t like the job. ... Rather than go through the whole process again of a search committee, would you consider — because you were the runner-up — coming in and taking this job?’ ” she remembered. “Some people would say, ‘I wouldn’t think of it. If they didn’t choose me the first time, I’m not taking that job.’ But I really thought it was a great, great job, and I wanted it, so I said, ‘Of course.’ ”
That was 35 years ago. Havas retired at the end of June, number one in the hearts of her admirers.
“She just about walks on water,” said artist David Jackson of Mountain Green.
Jackson has served on the art center’s board of directors and advisory boards for more than 20 years, and says Havas is one of the reasons he stayed so long.
“I think she probably has done more for art in the community than anybody,” he said, adding that she works quietly, behind the scenes.
“It’s not just about the job — she’s sincere about art in the Ogden area.”
First and last job
Havas understood why she wasn’t first choice for the job.
“It was really my first time to try for a paid position,” she said, explaining that she had done only volunteer work. “I started at a very low salary, lower than the lady that had just walked out on them, because I didn’t have any experience. I said, ‘Just let me have the job for one year, and see if I can do it, and if I prove myself, then I would expect maybe to be paid more.’ ”
She says she didn’t have any serious experience in art or writing grants, two major components of the job.
“I went up to Weber State and took some art and grant writing classes, and we have a lot of artists who helped me,” she said. “We did a lot of going to visit other exhibitions to train me, to help give me that eye for art.”
Proving herself
Raising funds for the nonprofit center, housed in a beautiful historic home built in Ogden in 1893, has been Havas’ biggest challenge — especially when she had to come up with $2 million more than a decade ago.
A planning committee decided in 1995 to buy land east of the home to construct an outbuilding for a better dance studio. The fundraising campaign started with that smaller goal, but then the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association, housed at the center, mentioned moving out because some patrons couldn’t climb the stairs to its second-floor office.
“I felt, as director, it was important to include performing arts with visual arts,” Havas said.
She agreed to build a new office for the association, connected to the dance studio, and set out to raise $1 million.
“I talked to people like Tommy Dee, and he said, ‘Sandy, I know you need more space, and I’m proud of you for wanting to expand your programs, but this mansion needs saving first,’ ” she said, recalling a conversation with the Ogden businessman about the center’s crumbling turret, balustrades and other problems. “So we realized it would be another million dollars.”
The board of directors considered hiring a professional fundraiser, but Havas said no — even though she’d never tackled a project that big.
“When I’d go to somebody like Mr. Dee and say, ‘I need some money,’ he’d know I was committed here — I was part of this — and yes, he would support me,” she said.
The board of directors appointed Debra Muller to manage the day-to-day operation of the center, so Havas could concentrate on fundraising.
“I’d go to bed some nights and think, ‘What am I doing?’ and then I finally realized I could do this,” she said.
Havas screwed up the courage to ask local philanthropist Chuck Swanson for a large sum of money, and he gave in spite of the fact that his grandmother’s home was torn down to make room for the dance studio.
“When they tore this old building down, out of the roof fell a box, an old hat box, and in that hat box were dance programs from his grandmother,” she said. “I cleaned up everything in there, put everything in a scrapbook, and took it to him.”
The Eccles home restoration was completed in 1997, and the outbuildings in 1999. Havas’ former office in the historic home has windows facing the addition.
“It makes me proud, now, when I look out and see that building, and to know that this building is safe, too,” she said, on one of her final days on the job.
People person
Havas says part of the reason she was successful is because she loves the people she works with — and they love her back.
“We’ve had a lot of fun over the years,” said Muller, who’s worked with Havas for 20 years. “We’ve had a good relationship.”
Jackson says he’s watched Havas work with a variety of people, some with more difficult personalities than others.
“She’s just very impressive,” he said. “She’s maintained her composure, and expertise and professionalism.”
And Havas enjoys meeting art center visitors.
“I’ve always felt that it’s a big part of my job to let people know this is their building,” she said, adding that she reminds the youngest visitors to take care of it. “I say, ‘Don’t run through the building, because it’s old, and you have to treat it like an old grandma.’ ”
While Havas was hanging art for a recent exhibit, a mother and children came in. She stopped to explain what was happening, encouraging the kids to look around and then tell her which pictures were their favorites. They came back excited to report their findings.
“I hope someday somebody will come through this building and say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember that lady that worked there’ — just a little bit of history that I’ve left something for the community,” she said.
Full circle
Havas never gave up volunteering, serving on everything from arts boards to local Catholic Community Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency boards.
“She’s done a lot of good for the community,” said Jill Sjoblom, education coordinator at the Eccles Community Art Center. “She’s definitely been an inspiration to me to get involved.”
Havas is going to keep some of those volunteer jobs, taking her career full circle.
But she plans to cut back a little so she can do some things she’s wanted to do for quite some time — work in her garden and read a stack of books.
“The first ambitious thing I’m going to do is go to the pound and adopt a dog,” she said, with a smile.
