Indianapolis native Vanessa R. Owens is co-director of Kenyetta Dance Company, a contemporary black dance company for teenagers and young adults (whose members are pictures here performing at 2007's Penrod Arts Fair). Gender-based discrimination is not a problem for Owens, but engaging the black community has been a challenge for her small company, she said. (Charlie Ny / The Star 2007 file photo)

Vanessa R. Owens is co-director of the Kenyetta Dance Company. (Frank Espich, The Star)

Helen H. Small of the American Pianists Association is among the most experienced women in local arts administration. (Frank Espich, The Star)

"I would say that, because of the nature of the arts, having women in key management positions is critical because it does add to the diversity and breadth that the arts actually stand for. That's very important." - Greg Charleston, president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis (Frank Espich, The Star 2007 file photo)

Joyce Sommers, president and executive directeor of the Indianapolis Art Center, estimates that "more than half" of local arts administrators are women, although she notes that they mostly run "mid-budget cultural organizations." (Frank Espich / The Star)

In cases where women outnumber men in arts groups, Indiana Repertory Theatre's Janet Allen believes that part of the reason "is that women will work for less money." (Frank Espich / The Star)

Roughly four decades after the development of the modern women's rights movement in this country, women have secured top positions with Fortune 500 companies. But when it comes to jobs with the highest-profile arts groups in Indianapolis, men are still leading the pack.

Veteran arts administrators say there has definitely been an increase in the number of women in arts management in Central Indiana since the 1960s and '70s.

However, in the first decade of the 21st century, even the most experienced female artistic or managing directors are working at small- or mid-sized arts organizations. They have yet to arrive at the top echelons of the largest groups, such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra or the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Who's running the show at those top-level arts groups?

Simon Crookall is the ISO's president and chief executive officer, and all six of the orchestra's music directors have been men, most recently Mario Venzago. At the IMA, Maxwell L. Anderson is the director and CEO.

That's not to say there's a dearth of women in the top ranks of local arts groups.

Joyce Sommers of the Indianapolis Art Center, Janet Allen with Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Helen H. Small of the American Pianists Association are among the most experienced women in local arts administration. Each has been with various groups for more than 25 years. At the other end of the spectrum, Vanessa R. Owens, with the Kenyetta Dance Company, is a relative newcomer.

Based on what Sommers has seen at meetings of local arts administrators, she estimates that "more than half" of local arts managers these days are women. But she also noticed that "a lot of the women in management in Indianapolis cultural organizations are in mid-budget cultural organizations. I can't think of one in the double-digit millions that's female-run. It may just be coincidental. I guess I prefer to think it's that way."

As a woman in arts management, Allen says she has never "had the impression of ever being alone in this community." That's also true nationally. Her artistic-director colleagues include Carey Perloff of San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, Susan V. Booth of Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, and Anita Stewart of the Portland Stage Company in Maine.

In cases where women outnumber men in arts groups, Allen believes that part of the reason "is that women will work for less money than men."

Last spring, the IMA announced that a $10.million gift from Melvin and Bren Simon would pay Anderson's $350,000 annual salary -- one of the highest on the local arts scene.

At the Indianapolis Symphony, Maestro Venzago brought home $350,819 plus $4,850 in benefits during the 2005-06 season, according to the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 for that year. Crookall, the orchestra's president and CEO, earned $235,145, plus $23,267 in benefits that year.

At the IRT, Allen earned $110,387, plus $14,113 in benefits in 2005-06.

"Part of that is that museums and symphony orchestras have much larger budgets than most performing arts organizations, so it's proportional -- and I get that," Allen said. "If you're running a $30.million organization, you're probably going to be paid better than I am."

Small said her compensation has increased through the years at the APA, but that the workload also expanded. "It's as if we tripled the size of the organization when we took on Indy Jazz Fest," she said. Over the last four years, the APA's annual budget grew from about $600,000 to $2 million.

Owens, an Indianapolis native, said she has not experienced gender-based discrimination, but that, as a small black contemporary dance company in Indianapolis, she believes "it's pretty hard. The first people we go to for support are other African-Americans, and they are sometimes apprehensive about modern dance."

Libby Appel, Allen's predecessor at the IRT, and recently retired artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, said she thinks that on the West Coast, there may be fewer female artistic directors than there used to be.

"One would have hoped that the number would have grown exponentially," Appel said, "but it really didn't. When searching for someone to replace me here, we found it very difficult to find women who were interested and ready to take on a position. That was very painful, actually."

Richard Hoffert, the ISO's former president and CEO who has recently been working in development for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, said he doesn't believe there's a shortage of female administrators in the orchestra world.

"I do not think there's a glass ceiling in the symphony world at all," Hoffert said. "My perception is that ..... particularly in the last 30 years, there have been a fairly substantial number of women in executive positions, (although) not necessarily CEOs or general managers.

Hoffert also doesn't think there's a shortage of talented women capable of running orchestras.

"This is just my personal opinion," he said, "but I really don't think it's a gender issue. It's really a lifestyle issue. You really need to be dedicated 80 or 90 hours a week, including weekends. My suspicion is that women who are either married or have partners think long and hard, especially if they have children, before they commit to the time constraint."

Henry Fogel, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, and a former president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, said, "Twenty-five, 30 years ago, there were a few, isolated executive directors who were women, but they were few and far between, and not at large-scale, international orchestras. That, in the last 25 or so years, has really changed."

According to Fogel, of the top 53 or 54 orchestras in the United States, about 16 have female executives.

There also has been more modest growth in the number of female music directors -- JoAnn Falletta of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Marin Alsop of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra being examples.

Alsop was also one of the most popular presumed candidates when the ISO conducted its last search for a music director.

Local women in arts management are quick to point out they were not among the first generation of local arts administrators.

Small is grateful she had a "role model" in Anna White, who retired in 2003 as executive director of Young Audiences of Indiana, the longtime Indianapolis arts education group.

Owens was mentored as an Indiana University student by Iris Rosa, director of the university's African-American Dance Company.

"I was one of two students running her undergraduate classes," Owens said. "She was a very organized planner and taught me that, even if your creative process is fine, you need to make sure the business side is well represented in the community."

While younger arts managers say they have not personally seen gender-based impediments on the job, Appel, who is 70, said that she "came through a period where, really, it was unusual for women to make it through to top positions in anything. Certainly in my life, I have felt the struggle to come forward and be seen."

Appel recalled that when she arrived at the IRT in 1992, "there was a big article written in the paper, about my being one of three women in our positions at the theater. It seemed to be something new for Indianapolis."

These days, Greg Charleston, president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, said women are part of the diverse mix that council grantors look for when they allocate funding.

"I would say that, because of the nature of the arts, having women in key management positions is critical," he said, "because it does add to the diversity and breadth that the arts actually stand for. That's very important."

As for the future, Allen believes there will be more women arts administrators in Indiana. In fact, during the IRT's last managing director search, the candidates included a woman.

"Part of it, I think, is true because of the pay. It's harder to keep men, particularly men with families," Allen said, "because they have got other choices where they can make a lot more money."

Small agrees, but also hopes there will be "more and more minorities" in arts management. "Maybe some day, we'll have the first female head of the IMA or the ISO."

Call Star reporter Whitney Smith at (317) 444-6226.

In cases where women outnumber men in arts groups, Indiana Repertory Theatre's Janet Allen, at right, believes that part of the reason "is that women will work for less money."

"I would say that, because of the nature of the arts, having women in key management positions is critical because it does add to the diversity and breadth that the arts actually stand for. That's very important." (Greg Charleston, president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis)

"I really don't think it's a gender issue. It's really a lifestyle issue. You really need to be dedicated 80 or 90 hours a week, including weekends. My suspicion is that women who are either married or have partners think long and hard, especially if they have children, before they commit to the time constraint." Richard Hoffert, former president and CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Joyce Sommers

Age: 72

Position: President and executive director, Indianapolis Art Center.

Compensation: $76,645 plus $30,000 in benefits, according to the 2005-6 IRS Form 990

Education: Indiana University

Family: Sons Spencer, Brandon and Brett Sommers and daughter Shannon Drane; eight grandchildren.

Helen H. Small

Age: 61

Position: President and CEO, American Pianists Association. For a decade, Small has led business operations, including fundraising, to support the APA's classical and jazz contests and most recently, Indy Jazz Fest.

Compensation: $95,000, according to the 2005-06 IRS Form 990.

Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Family: Husband, Bobby Jay Small; son, James Small; daughter Amy Bilyeu; two grandsons.

Janet Allen

Age: 52

Position: Artistic director, Indiana Repertory Theatre. Allen has been with the IRT for a quarter century. For 12 years, she has led play production and artistic programming as a co-equal with IRT's managing director, most recently Steven Stolen.

Compensation: $110,387 plus $14,113 in benefits, according to the 2005-06 IRS Form 990.

Education: Bachelor's degree from Illinois State University. Graduate studies at Exeter College, Oxford, and Indiana University.

Family: Husband, Joel Grynheim; daughters Leah and Nira Grynheim.

Vanessa R. Owens

Age: 47

Position: Co-director, Kenyetta Dance Company, a contemporary African-American company for teenagers and young adults. Her brother Nicholas Owens also serves as co-director and manages artistic matters.

Compensation: $19,000.

Education: Attended Indiana University.

Family: Daughters Lalah Hazelwood and Nia Owens.

Joyce Sommers

Age: 72.

Position: President and exeutive director, Indianapolis Art Center.

Compensation: $76,645 plus $30,000 in benefits, according to the 2005-06 IRS Form 990.

Education: Indiana University.

Family: Sons Spencer, Brandon and Brett Sommers and daughter Shannon Drane; eight grandchildren.

Area arts executives

American Cabaret Theatre -- Bob Harbin, artistic director; Mark Kesling, chief operating officer and development director.

American Pianists Association -- Helen H. Small, president and CEO; Joel Harrison, artistic director.

Dance Kaleidoscope -- David Hochoy, artistic director; Jan Virgin, managing director.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art -- John Vanausdall, president and CEO.

Indiana Repertory Theatre -- Janet Allen, artistic director; Steven Stolen, managing director.

Indianapolis Art Center -- Joyce Sommers, president and executive director.

Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra -- Elaine Eckhart, executive director; Kirk Trevor, music director.

Indianapolis Children's Choir -- Henry Leck, founder and artistic director; Don Steffy, executive director.

Indianapolis Civic Theatre -- Robert J. Sorbera, artistic director; Cheryl L. Lynn, managing director.

Indianapolis Museum of Art -- Maxwell L. Anderson, director and CEO.

Indianapolis Opera -- John C. Pickett, executive director; James Caraher, artistic director.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra -- Simon Crookall, president and chief executive officer; Mario Venzago, music director.

International Violin Competition of Indianapolis -- Glen Kwok, executive director.

Kenyetta Dance Company -- Vanessa R. Owens and Nicholas Owens, co-directors.

Phoenix Theatre -- Bryan Fonseca, producing director.

Theatre on the Square -- Ron Spencer, executive artistic director.