VWAPAF names new executive director

VW independent staff

The Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation has a new executive director.

Jarin Hart will take over for Tafi Stober, who resigned in late December of last year. Hart is originally from Columbia City, Indiana, and has been in the Fort Wayne area for over a decade. She most recently spent two years as programming director at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne.

“As the new executive director of Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation, I am honored to lead an institution dedicated to enriching lives through the transformative power of the arts,” Hart said in a press release. “Together, we will embark on a journey of creativity, innovation, and community engagement, ensuring that our stage continues to be a beacon of inspiration for all.”

“We are very fortunate to have someone of Jarin’s caliber as the new executive director of the Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation,” Van Wert Live Board Chair Doug Grooms said. “I am so excited that we get the opportunity to benefit from Jarin’s wealth of talent and experiences in arts administration and from her passion for fostering performing arts to benefit communities and individuals. I enjoy talking with Jarin as I always learn something new. Already, in our short time working together, it is obvious that Jarin’s collaborative and relational approach to leading will fit perfectly with our culture and needs.”

Hart will be at this Sunday’s show, the Barricade Boys, at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center and will be available to meet those in attendance.