Lynn Schuette, the founder of the progressive arts venue Sushi and has been asked to step down from her post as interim executive director for budgetary reasons. According to a statement released yesterday, the Sushi board of directors made the decision to let Schuette go "to preserve the remainder of the season" during tough economic times. &
Sushi just moved into a new space in the East Village at 11th and J Streets, after four years without a home and mounting shows in various spaces around the city. & Schuette helped shepherd the establishment of the permanent space and curated the current season of programs, one populated with the provocative performance artists first presented in San Diego back in the '80s when Schuette launched Sushi. & In fact, Schuette has been credited with giving San Diego's arts scene an international reputation during the 80s heyday of performance art, providing a home to artists like Guillermo G & oacute;mez-Pe & ntilde;a, Karen Finley and even Whoopi Goldberg.
Sushi board member Indra Gardiner described Schuette's dismissal as "less than ideal." & The board hopes to begin a search for a permanent executive director with the help of a grant from the Parker Foundation.
