Men in the Arts
Five locals instrumental in the Valley’s creative scene
By Kaylor Jones / Photos by Claudia Johnstone
It’s impossible to understate the impact of the arts on our lives, from serving as a form of escapism when times are tough to providing a community for people to connect over shared passions. In honor of our annual Man Issue, meet five local men working tirelessly to further the Valley’s reputation as a vibrant cultural hub.
Craig Culy
Executive director, Musical Instrument Museum
When Craig Culy interviewed at Musical Instrument Museum in 2009, one of the first questions he was asked was if he played an instrument.
“I thought I was going to fail when I heard that question. In fifth grade, I did the violin at school but I was the kid that held the bow above the string, moving it back and forth and trying to look good doing it,” Culy says. “I always joke that the only instrument I can play in this building is the air guitar!”
Culy was brought on as a temporary accounting associate before the museum doors were even open, later serving as chief financial officer and chief operating officer before he assumed his current role as executive director.
Over the last 15 years, he’s watched MIM (www.mim.org) go from empty galleries to a cultural institution ranked among the top destinations in Arizona. Today, it’s home to half a dozen unique galleries in addition to special exhibitions, signature events (such as Celebrate Jazz, taking place June 6-8), and over 300 concerts a year. The collection is constantly evolving, with changes made nearly every single day.
“It’s exciting for guests to know the next time they come in – even if it’s the next day – there’s something new to see. We’re 100% focused on the guest experience. It’s a place that’s truly about having fun and being happy, and it’s so rewarding for me to see all the smiles on people’s faces, not only with our guests, but with our team and volunteer team members.”
When he’s not working, Culy is most often found playing golf or watching movies with his wife and 12-year-old daughter. His favorite genre of music? Hip-hop – the Michigan native counts Eminem among his top artists.
“We all love music. It’s an escape,” he says. “That’s why we’re a place free from politics, a very bright place where people can come together and experience creativity.”
Keath David Hall
Artistic director, Southwest Shakespeare Company
Actor, director and technician Keath David Hall’s storied career in classical theater began with a favor.
“I was in my senior year of college at San Diego State when a buddy who ran a theater company had somebody drop out of a show and wanted me to step in,” Hall says.
And step in he did – Hall, who studied history but quickly realized his true passion was on stage, spent the next seven years with the company, also working with a variety of respected theater companies in California.
His relationship with Southwest Shakespeare Company (www.swshakespeare.org) began when he moved to the Valley in 2007, and now, after working with it for almost 20 years, Hall couldn’t be prouder to take up the mantle of artistic director.
“I feel honored to be trusted with the keys to the city. The company’s been around so long – over 30 years now – and it’s a really big part of the Valley. I’m so excited for the next chapter.”
Having recently announced the upcoming season – including 1984, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V and Moby Dick – Hall’s goal is to reinvigorate the company while appealing to student audiences.
This mission is especially important to him as a full-time drama teacher at Shadow Mountain High School – he’s seen firsthand how many students lack a connection with literature. “It’s a shame when these stories hold the potential to make us happier, kinder people,” he says.
Hall, who also co-founded Ronin Theatre Company, sees theater as an opportunity to practice empathy, to step away from life’s stresses and laugh and cry to centuries-old plays that still haven’t lost their luster.
“My favorite thing in the world is to take something old, something people don’t think is relevant anymore, and dust it off and show how universal human experience is. The arts are a necessity; it’s part of who we are. Without them we lose our character, our identity.”
Gillmer Duran
Full-time faculty and upper division liaison, School of Ballet Arizona and Arizona School for the Arts
Rewind to the ’70s – the era of disco. A 6-year-old Gillmer Duran is dancing for fun at family parties in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, mimicking John Travolta’s slick moves from Saturday Night Fever. “I had no shame, and I really enjoyed it!” he recalls with a laugh.
What started as playful party entertainment to make his loved ones smile soon became something more. By age 11, Duran was performing Venezuelan folk dances, a gateway that led him to explore jazz, contemporary and, eventually, ballet.
“I tried ballet a couple of times, and I didn’t like it that much,” he admits. But while working at a bank, former professional dancer Sandra Ledda saw potential in him and offered him serious training. After some thought, he left the bank behind and launched his professional dancing career at 21.
Now, in 2025, Duran is celebrating 25 years in dance as both a performer and a teacher. Known for his versatility and intuition, he’s danced classical, neoclassical, and contemporary roles with Ballet Metropolitano, Ballet Nuevo Mundo and Eugene Ballet Company, among several others. His choreography has appeared with Eugene Ballet, Ballet Des Moines, Alaska Dance Theatre, and Northwest Arkansas Ballet Theatre, and he’s led master classes worldwide. Today, he teaches at the School of Ballet Arizona and Arizona School for the Arts, primarily working with upper division students. “Once students have a hold of the foundational elements, like proper alignment and basic positions, I guide them in developing strength, flexibility, artistic expression and the mindset to stay engaged in this practice,” he says. “I’m relaxed in my approach but also a warm demander.”
Ultimately, Duran hopes his students experience the deeper value of dance, not just in their own lives, but in how it connects to others and the world around them.
“Beyond a traditional form of expression or an after-school activity, dance can ignite dialogue across cultures, artistic disciplines, and civic awareness.”
His biggest cheerleaders are his mother and his wife. Whether mimicking movie stars or choreographing original work, Duran plans to keep dancing for one simple reason: “It’s a feeling of freedom. Bliss. Flow.”
Joseph Specter
President and CEO, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
As a teenager, Joseph Specter dreamed of being a rock ’n’ roll singer – until he stumbled upon the world of opera.
“What drew me to opera was the same adrenaline rush I felt playing in a rock band as a teenager, but with a completely different depth. It felt massive and emotional and alive,” says Specter, who began his career as a professional opera singer before transitioning to fundraising and leadership roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Austin Opera and Arizona Opera. Now, he’s honored to assume the role of president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (www.franklloydwright.org).
“Whether in opera or now at the foundation, I see myself as a conduit between art and community. Wright’s legacy is widely known by some and still a discovery for many,” he says. “What made opera even more compelling to me was that hardly any of my friends knew it existed. That instinct to bring something powerful and meaningful to people who might not otherwise encounter it has guided me ever since.”
Specter’s vision is for the foundation to remain a living, breathing force, not only safeguarding the legacy of a legend in American design, but helping his spaces to continue to spark imagination. No matter the artform, it all comes down to creating dynamic experiences that inspire both admirers and fellow artists while advancing human connection through a shared purpose.
“A building, a performance, a painting, they become gathering places. Their beauty has the power to connect us, to uplift us and to remind us of what’s possible,” Specter says. “Wright’s work endures because it was never static. He was constantly evolving – experimenting with form, materials and ideas in ways that pushed the boundaries of what architecture could be. His designs aren’t just iconic, they’re rooted in a vision for how we can live more intentionally – in harmony with nature, beauty and one another. That philosophy has never felt more important than now.”
Jeremy Mikolajczak
Director and CEO, Phoenix Art Museum
Jeremy Mikolajczak knows better than anyone that art has the power to change lives. For him, the moment that changed everything was when he first laid eyes on Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals at the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA).
“It was a moment filled with nervous energy, excitement and anticipation as I stood in awe of human achievement in a chapel-like room in one of America’s great art institutions. That single visit to the DIA was the catalyst that propelled me into a career in the arts.”
Following an impressive resume as the former director and CEO of the Tucson Museum of Art – as well as leadership positions at art centers and galleries in Florida, Missouri, Illinois and his native Michigan – Mikolajczak joined Phoenix Art Museum as the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO in 2022. The next five years in particular will be a period of significant growth for Phoenix Art Museum (www.phxart.org), he says, with plans to open its long-awaited restaurant, renovate and reinstall permanent collection galleries, and launch a new evening music program later this fall.
For Mikolajczak, it’s a privilege to steward the collection of the Southwest’s largest visual arts institution – currently over 20,000 works strong – and serve as an ambassador for both the museum and the region as a whole. He credits his early exposure to museums as proof of the transformative impacts of not just art education, but of maintaining a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity – something that reminds him every day that he’s living out his dream.
“Museums are critical to our livelihood and what makes us human,” he says. “They provide a place of solitude, beauty, contemplation, delight, reflection and a greater understanding of the people and world around us. They allow us to explore new heights and push the boundaries of what we believe is possible, inspiring us to dream and hope for a better future.”