Myra A. Mayman, the founding director of the Office for the Arts (OFA), has announced her intention to step down next June, drawing to a close almost 30 years of what her colleagues called progressive leadership with a personal touch.

The announcement comes at a time when the OFA occupies a prominent position on campus, which many campus art aficionados said can be attributed to the firm foundation that Mayman established.

Cathleen D. McCormick, the director of programs at the OFA who has worked with Mayman for 15 years, praised Mayman as an effective leader and co-worker with an excellent sense of humor.

"She's a fantastic person to know and to work with," McCormick said yesterday. "She is very smart, very devoted to the arts on a deep level and her commitment to undergraduates is always steadfast and has always been admirable."

Mayman has helped develop programs like Learning from Performers, which pairs renowned artists with students in an interactive setting.

Over 550 artists have participated in the program.

Thomas S. Lee, coordinator of the Learning from Performers program, said he would miss her leadership style.

"She's a key judge of people," Lee said. "She really brings out what they're good at. She knows the best person for any particular job. There's a lot of longevity here, and that speaks well of Myra."

Elizabeth W. Bergmann, director of OFA's dance program, arrived at Harvard this February after teaching at several schools across the country. She said he has already felt Mayman's empathetic touch.

"I think she's magic in terms of orchestrating, managing and taking charge in the best sense," Bergmann said. "She's very open, she listens to everyone. She builds a team in the arts office from the secretary to those who are leading the programs. Everyone has a voice. When she calls a meeting, everyone is there."

Mayman said she is leaving to devote her time to family and to travel across the world.

"I have an adventuresome husband who wants to spend time with me and take me places," she said. "I have no plans--I'm just doing a free-fall off of a 27-year-long diving board."

Mayman said she would take with her fond memories of the University.

"It's so exciting! It's so varied and so intense--I love the intensity," she said. "I really, really, really love the aiming for true excellence that happens here."

In her absence, Mayman said she hopes to see the programs she created continue to develop.

Mayman said she hopes to one day see the arts experienced in a hands-on environment inside the classroom, providing students with alternative ways of thinking and achieving intellectual breakthroughs.

"Our minds and bodies aren't separate--they're connected," she said. "Why can't we use education to learn how to use both? I'd like to see the Office of the Arts helping make more of that connection. There are structured ways that the Office of the Arts can employ to help those discoveries. Arts is about making connections that we don't usually make."

Mayman said she hopes to continue her involvement in the arts and the university community, although to a lesser degree, as the president of the Signet Associates, which is the graduate board of the Signet Society.

"It's too big a party to go home completely," she said.