David Kuehn arrived at Cotuit Center for the Arts in March of 2010 ready, as new executive director, to spearhead an initiative to introduce new patrons to one of the Cape’s undiscovered gems. Today the 7.5 acre campus is bursting with activity in visual and performing arts and education programs.

“To be here is to have a love affair with the arts. It’s a place where you are surrounded by beauty. It’s a place where artistic expression is celebrated. It’s a place where diversity and experimentation are encouraged. It’s a place to feed your soul.”

A native of Indiana, he left the heartland in 1979 for the California gold coast and a degree in music performance from UCLA. His passion for and experience in all art forms was rooted during his early days in California where he played in Daniel Lentz’s ensemble. In Los Angeles, Kuehn worked in the scene with such visionaries as Philip Glass, John Adams, The Kronos Quartet, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Dan Flavin, Franco Assetto, and more. In 1993, he relocated to NYC, eventually running the classical music division of RCA records, guiding recording projects by such luminaries as Leontyne Price, Van Cliburn, Michael Tilson Thomas, Denyce Graves, Max Vengerov, and the Boston Pops, just to name a few.

Kuehn and his husband Alan Trugman took up seasonal residence on the Cape in 1993 and then permanent residency in their Yarmouth Port home in 2000. He is a former Chairman of the GALE fund, sits on the board of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, is a teaching Fellow for the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, has volunteered for several organizations on the Cape, and tries to remain an avid cyclist.