The Durango Creative District board of directors has appointed Susan Lander as its interim director after the former director resigned amid a controversy about a panel discussion to discuss “Indigenous mascots” being abruptly canceled.

Lander was involved with the creation of the Durango Creative District two years ago, partnering with Local First and about 20 local artists to have the district formed.

“Becoming a creative district was a passion I’ve had for a long time,” she said. “I’ve visited a lot of creative districts throughout the state, and they really have an economic impact on the community.”

Lander comes to the Creative District with more than 25 years of experience working with and managing nonprofits. She’s served as a board or council member for Colorado Creative Industries, Rainbow Youth Center, El Pomar Foundation, Women’s Resource Center, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and Community Resource Center.

“We are excited to have Susan step into this role as the Durango Creative District works to support the Colorado Creative Districts program goal to ‘serve as a focal point for celebrating and strengthening a community’s unique identity, become a space to showcase cultural and artistic organizations and events, and contribute to the development of healthy communities,’” said Durango Creative District board President Charles Leslie in a news release.

For several years, Lander also worked as executive director of the Music in the Mountains classical music festival in Durango.

Since 2012, Lander said she’s worked as a consultant with more than 60 local and statewide organizations, on mostly arts-related projects.

“I really work on board development, and teaching people how to fundraise,” she said.

Ten years ago, Lander said she was appointed by the governor to be on the Colorado Creative Industries Council, and served on that council for about five years.

Lander said she’s hoping to see the Creative District grow in a way that promotes art in Durango during the winter months.

“There are a lot of people who travel that don’t come to Durango for skiing,” she said. “If we promote the arts, we can have off-season events for people who are coming to Durango for other reasons.”

With the previous Creative District director stepping down at the beginning of the month, Lander said that for the most part she’s holding things together and not planning anything new for the district.

“During the next month or two there’s nothing planned,” she said. “Right now, I’m kind of regrouping.”

The Creative District is still waiting to hear how much lodgers tax revenue it will receive in 2022 from the city of Durango. Part of the city’s lodgers tax increase in April 2021 allocates 14% of money collected through the tax to go toward the arts.

The previous director, Hayley Kirkman, resigned amid the abrupt cancellation of a panel discussion scheduled to happen earlier this month aimed at discussing Indigenous mascots. The event was organized by the Indigenous justice activist group Four Borderless Corners, along with the Durango Creative District and the Durango Arts Center.

The event was canceled after the Durango Creative District director and its board members received an email from the Toh-Atin Gallery expressing concerns that the panel was coming together specifically to attack the business for its “chief” sign – a towering representation of a Native American figure outside Toh-Atin Gallery.

Many believe the sign’s cartoonish depiction of a Native American to be racist and demeaning.

Lander declined to comment about the panel discussion being canceled, and did not share her opinions about “the chief.” She said the Durango Creative District is working on a news release about the event’s cancellation.

njohnson@durangoherald