Arts Council thanks Larry Castner for 10 years of service
Larry Castner, the manager of volunteer services at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council since 2013, has announced his retirement.
“Larry was an important part of our ability to provide service and support for artists and small organizations for 10 years. His background as an attorney was invaluable to helping people navigate the challenges of working in the arts, and linking them to other legal, business, and human resources professionals for pro-bono assistance,” says Arts Council CEO Mitch Swain. “All of us at the Arts Council appreciate the personal approach that he took to working with the arts community. He will be missed.”
In his role at the Arts Council, Larry managed both the Business Volunteers for the Arts and the Volunteer Lawyer for the Arts programs, helping artists and arts groups access assistance from skill-based volunteers to solve their business and legal issues.
“Larry has been a steadfast reliable powerhouse of balance and solutions to the arts community. His humble approach to business and legal challenges has been a beacon and respite countless times when us arts professionals inevitably wade into unknown and sometimes rough waters," says Erin O’Neill, manager of Art on the Walls. “His pragmatic clarity of creative small business and the law around it provided me and countless other artists and arts organizations critical assistance when we most needed it. Larry’s in-person support and his quick dry wit at the Arts Council will be deeply missed.”
Larry became involved in the nonprofit sector following his retirement from Alcoa after almost 30 years. A graduate of Dickinson College and the Dickinson School of Law, Larry began his career at Alcoa in the Legal Department where he provided legal advice to several business units and served as lead attorney on acquisition, divestiture, and joint venture projects. He was posted overseas to Alcoa of Australia as its General Counsel. Larry ultimately moved into the Business Development Group at Alcoa for his final five years, including time spent as the head of Alcoa’s Business Development Group in Beijing.
In addition to his work with the Arts Council, Larry is an active volunteer, including volunteering with the Executive Service Corps, the Bayer Center for Nonprofit, Venture Outdoors, and the Montour Trail.
In Larry’s absence, Pittsburgh artists in need of legal assistance can contact businessandlegal@pittsburghartscouncil.org.