When Lauren Otis was approached about becoming executive director of ARTWORKS, the Trenton visual art center, he was hesitant at first. “I thought long and hard about it,” said Mr. Otis, who served on the organization’s board from 2009 to 2014 and has been active in several of its programs. “I felt I almost knew too much. I knew how big a job it was.”

But ultimately, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to have a leading role in a movement he feels passionate about: furthering the arts in Trenton. Where some see blight and decay on the capital city’s streets, Mr. Otis sees artistic opportunity. “I am a true believer. I’ve given lectures on the subject,” he said. “There is this negative public story. But those of us in the arts see this incredible flowering of creativity. It’s not just street art or mural art. There are also interesting events going on all over the city that are driven by art.”

It was Mr. Otis who founded the popular Art All Day, an ARTWORKS-sponsored event each November where Trenton artists open their studios to the public. It is a cousin of the wildly successful Art All Night weekend, a 10-year-old event that draws thousands to a former Roebling Steel factory in Trenton every June.

Housed since 1988 in a former Sears warehouse on the edge of Trenton’s Mill Hill neighborhood, ARTWORKS was founded as the Princeton Art Association in Princeton 52 years ago to offer artists professional support. The focus has been almost exclusively on Trenton artists since 2007, and Mr. Otis plans to continue along that path.

“I grew up in New York City,” said Mr. Otis, who is 56. “I went to college [University of Pennsylvania] in Philadelphia and I’ve lived in cities my whole life. I like the energy, the diversity. Trenton has amazing housing and commercial development right now. And the arts can be an economic engine to drive cities. We’ve seen it in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section, in Brooklyn, and even in Detroit, a city on the brink of insolvency. I’m really looking forward to these kinds of things happening in Trenton and it’s already begun.”

Mr. Otis’s name may be familiar to Princeton residents from his years editing and writing for the Princeton Packet, from 2006 to 2010. He has freelanced for the Trenton Times, New York Times, New Jersey Monthly, and other publications. All the while, street photography has been a priority. “I started doing it in high school, and have continued in Trenton. I love it,” he said.

A resident of Trenton since moving to the city 25 years ago, Mr. Otis shares studio space with photographer Andrew Wilkinson. They have partnered on several events to promote the city as an artistic destination.

Mr. Otis comes to the ARTWORKS position following the departure of former director Lynn Lemyre, who left after four-and-one-half years to care for family members. “She did a great job,” said Mr. Otis. “She really set ARTWORKS on a good course.”

In hiring Mr. Otis, the organizations Board of Trustees chairman Jeff Stewart said in a press release, “Lauren brings a depth of knowledge of ARTWORKS and the Trenton community, coupled with an exciting vision of what ARTWORKS can become.” Mr. Otis said he intends to continue on Mr. Lemyre’s path while investigating new opportunities for the organization. “I’ll be doing some new things, but keeping the great programming we have,” he said. “The goal is to make art accessible to everyone.”