As Karen Bell moves around her office, there is a consistency about her. As interim dean of Ohio State’s college of the Arts, it seems obvious that a person holding a position of this nature would be poised and well organized.
Yet as Bell shuffles through papers and chats casually with an office assistant, it is evident that there is something more. In between the artistic decoration that frames her office space, Bell exudes a comfort with her work that can come from only one thing: A passion and love for what she does.
Bell has been a part of Ohio State for 21 years. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with an Master of Fine Arts in Dance, Bell joined the OSU teaching staff as an assistant professor in 1980. Since then she has had five academic appointments and according to colleagues, she has helped turn the Department of Dance into the acclaimed program that it is today. Michael Kelly Bruce is the acting chairman and an associate professor that has worked with Bell for 11 years.
“I have followed Karen literally since I arrived at OSU. We taught some of the same courses, and I became the coordinator of the dance undergraduate program when she left the department to be associate dean in the college. Karen has a great sense of the performing arts. As a performer, director and choreographer herself, she brings a unique eye and sensibility to her work,” Bruce said.
After a series of part time positions with Cornell University and Elmira College in the ’70s, Bell obtained her first position with OSU as an assistant professor. In 1985, she was invited back to Cornell to act as a visiting assistant professor and by 1987 Bell was named an associate professor at Ohio State. She worked as coordinating adviser in the Department of Dance and served as a liaison for the college of the arts.
In 1992, Bell became associate dean of the College of the Arts and found her role at OSU evolving even more. She crossed disciplines as she headed up the acting program within the Department of Dance and by 1996 Bell was calling all the shots as chair of the top-ranked department.
It was only a matter of time before Bell would have the opportunity to use her passion, education and vast experience to reach beyond the physical boundaries of Ohio State and greatly influence the external community. In 2001, Bell was named interim dean of the College of the Arts where she holds administrative responsibility for the university’s visual and performing arts divisions and center.
As part of her appointment as interim dean, Bell has been elected to serve ex-officio on the Wexner Center Foundation’s board of trustees, which will allow her to incorporate her knowledge and expertise to the Columbus community as a whole.
The Wexner Center is supervised by a board of trustees who are active participants in the civic or arts arenas. Many of the members are part of the OSU administrative or academic realms and meet three times a year to address all manners dealing with policy and governance. When the university initiated the project to create the center, administrators met with founding benefactor Les Wexner and agreed that to ensure strong community support, a separate board would be created that would focus on dedication to the arts. Because the center is classified as a separate entity from the university, it is also recognizable as an international arts institution.
All members have been elected because of their expertise in the civic or arts arenas and those that hold specific university positions, are automatically included because of their responsibilities and their dedication to expanding artistic culture. Marshall Rose is the vice chairman of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City and has recently been named to the board of trustees because of his vast interest in the arts and his passion for public service. Former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Jo Ann Davidson has also been named to the board.
Then of course, Bell’s proven track record and vast experience in the arts community has made her an asset and a welcome addition to the board of trustees. OSU Provost Ed Ray, a co-trustee, looks forward to Bell’s contributions and innovative ideas. Ray met Bell almost 10 years ago when he was appointed associate provost and she was an associate dean in the college of the arts.
“Karen has a genuine appreciation for all of the arts and a good knowledge of leading artists in many areas. She will be very helpful in recruiting artists for performance and residence programs and in assessing whether or not the center is maintaining the right balance of presentations across the performing and visual arts. In her capacity as dean, I know Karen will help the board and the center provide even more learning opportunities for our faculty than has been the case in the past,” Ray said.
Bell has a few plans of her own. Through e-mail correspondence, Bell had these thoughts about issues she would like to address throughout her involvement with the Wexner Center.
“In my position, I am trying to better link the arts with the Columbus community. In addition, we partnered with the Martin Luther King Center. So, I’m interested in continuing partnerships with the community especially in areas concerning diversity,” Bell said.
Charles Helm, director of the Performing Arts at the Wexner Center additionally stressed the value of Bell’s interest in strengthening OSU’s arts education assets and profile, locally and nationally. Helm, who has worked with Bell for 10 years, sees her as a “candid and keen insight.”
“Karen will greatly contribute to the Wexner Center because of her desire to reinforce and sustain our ongoing working partnerships. She will help to bring unique arts opportunities to campus and connect leading artists with students. This will help attract outstanding faculty and art students to OSU,” Helm said.
Despite Bell’s accomplished career, complete with a vast array of experiences, her passion and love for the arts is deeply rooted in dance. She is working on a performance piece that is exploring the issues of aging. Bell is still very enthusiastic about performing herself and considers her position as dance chair to be one her most valued experiences.
“I am probably most proud of chairing the Department of Dance. It has been a thrill and an honor, my colleagues are fantastic and I have a respect for everyone that I work with,” Bell said.
Bell is a dancer, a teacher, a choreographer, an administrator, an artist and a mother. She has spent her professional career cultivating the performing arts community at Ohio State and beyond. With her most recent appointment to the Wexner Board of Trustees, all those that know her expect even greater things from the woman who has done it all. Bell is right where she wants to be.
