After ConWorks' New Year's Eve Heaven and Hell Ball, the behind-the-scenes tension apparently came to a head. Program Director Chris Weber and Executive Director Matthew Richter had a "real blowout" following the party, according to Neuwirth, and in the first week of January Weber quit. Then Neuwirth announced that he was planning to resign in the spring (for "a number of reasons," he said, Weber's departure having been "the last straw"). Then, last Monday, Neuwirth was fired (after that "fucking nightmare" comment became public). The same day, Carol Bull, managing director of ConWorks since November, abruptly quit. On Wednesday, Bull announced on the Internet listserv LadiesWhoLunch: "I've just resigned my position as managing director of Consolidated Works and am interested in seeking a work situation that is, well, healthy."
Richter, who founded ConWorks in 1999, is unfazed about the spate of resignations. "ConWorks has been around for five years now. We've had staff changes in every position. That's the nature of nonprofits. That's the nature of any business." Richter described Weber's resignation as "about as mutual as these things can be. We were both ready for that to happen." Board President Robb Krieg described Bull's resignation as a "surprise" and explained that there were "differences between Carol and Matt about how things should be run."
Weber would only say that ConWorks "wasn't a good working environment" for him. He declined to give any specific reasons for leaving because, as he put it, "At some point I want to be Matt Richter's friend again, and I already feel like I'm pushing it."
Bull told The Stranger, "I cut my losses… If I don't feel good about the organization I'm representing, I need to get out of there." She described Richter's work style as "off-the-cuff" and said, "I can't help him with what he wants to do."
Krieg insists that Richter is the right leader for the organization because "he is the founder of ConWorks" and because "he has brilliant artistic vision." According to Krieg, the board is developing "an action plan to stabilize the organization and make sure things get better." Krieg added, "In light of events of recent weeks, we're all working together to make sure ConWorks survives and thrives."
Meanwhile, Richter has already begun to rebuild the staff. According to Richter, "We have gotten rid of the folks we needed to get rid of, and now we have the team that's going to run this organization in the future." John Sutton, an artist who's worked with ConWorks before, is replacing Weber as program director.
When told about Richter's statement, Weber responded, "ConWorks and Matt Richter didn't get rid of anyone. Three core people left because they were un-happy with how the place is being run. It's a wake-up call. I'm excited that everyone inside of ConWorks is looking at this as a positive thing, because this is a critical time for ConWorks."
Sutton said that he's excited about the program director job even though he wishes "the circumstances had been different." But, he said, "I definitely wouldn't be jumping on board if I thought ConWorks was going down, like all those rumors I've heard."
According to ConWorks Film Curator Adam Hart, "As stressful and as shitty as the next month's going to be, there's actually a little more excitement in the air than there was a couple months ago--even if it's just because there's an opportunity to change things around a bit." He added, "Sometimes it's good to clear the air. This is just one hell of a way to do it."
