Installation view, “Nhớ” by Phượng-Duyên Hải Nguyễn, Welcome Gallery, 2024
Shape a Future Arts Council for the Charlottesville Area
Charlottesville, Albemarle, and the surrounding counties have a robust arts and culture sector but lack a centralized, coordinated structure to support its creative communities. A collaborative, community-led effort is now underway to explore the creation of a future Arts Council for the Charlottesville area—one that is equitable, accessible, and focused on making it possible for artists to live, work, and thrive here.
This process is being facilitated by an independent consultant, Ruby Lopez Harper, who was responsible for supporting 4,500 local arts agencies with tools, training, and resources during her time at Americans for the Arts prior to her current role as the Executive Director of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+).
New City Arts Initiative is the administrative home for this 7-month Arts Council Feasibility Study, which is supported by UVA Arts, the City of Charlottesville, The FUNd at CACF, the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB), and the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation.
Steering Committee
To ensure this work is shaped by the people the Arts Council would serve, we are forming a Steering Committee (9-11 people) that will guide the planning process, review findings, and co-create recommendations. We invite artists, cultural workers, organizers, educators, and community members to self-nominate and take part.
To acknowledge their time and contributions, steering committee members will receive a $500 honorarium.
-
The Steering Committee serves as a core advisory group for a community-driven effort to explore and establish a future Arts Council for the Charlottesville area. The Steering Committee will:
Offer insights and feedback throughout the planning process
Help shape the vision, values, and proposed structure of a future Arts Council
Elevate community needs and ideas through collaborative discussion
All responsibilities can be found in the Steering Committee Charter here.
-
We’re seeking artists, arts workers, cultural organizers, community members, arts supporters, and arts grantmakers who live or work in the Charlottesville area region including the surrounding counties; are involved in or deeply care about the arts, culture, and creative communities; represent a range of disciplines, identities, and experiences; and believe in and practice equity, collaboration, and community-centered leadership.
The Steering Committee will operate with the following values:
Equity & Inclusion: Centering underrepresented voices and cultural traditions.
Community-Led: Prioritizing the expertise and lived experience of Charlottesville’s arts and culture community.
Transparency: Encouraging open communication and shared understanding.
Collaboration: Fostering collective decision-making and co-creation.
Imagination & Sustainability: Building toward a future that is visionary, adaptive, and grounded in community needs.
-
Term: August 2025 – January 2026
Meetings: Up to 6 virtual meetings + optional participation in listening sessions
Time Estimate: Up to 4 hours a month
Participate
Not interested in being on the Steering Committee but still want to support the exploration of an Arts Council serving Charlottesville and the surrounding region? Do you want to lend your space for a community listening session? Become a volunteer? Just stay in the loop? Let us know! You do not need to be affiliated with an organization or institution.
Meet the Team
Ruby Lopez Harper
Facilitator
Maureen Brondyke
Project Lead
Activities & Timeline
This planning process will include a review of available documentation of existing infrastructure, peer city benchmarking, funding models, operational models and asset mapping. We will host 4-6 community listening sessions focused on arts and culture visioning and a needs assessment. Our goal is to create a plan to activate a local arts coalition to support our region, after identifying potential growth opportunities for the purpose of supporting the arts and developing useful tools to aid our region in agency implementation and organization.
Arts Council Feasibility Study Funding Partners
Community Support
In addition to the Arts Council Feasibility Study Funders, the following individuals and organizations support this community-led, professional, and facilitated process for creating a Charlottesville area arts coalition based on best practices, benchmarking, and robust community input. Add your name and/or org to this list here!
Individuals
Stacey Lewis
Sheila Yoder
Boomie Pedersen
Danielle Stevens
Sarah Raffinan
Stephen Haske
I.F. Gonzales
Julie Montross
Lisa Draine
Bobbi Dunn
Emily Hartka
Erica Goldfarb
Sarah Sweet
Nathan Moore
Erin Dickey
Charlotte James
Andrea Ruedy Trimble
Melanie Bentley
Paola Christy
Rebecca Hall
Renee Balfour
Grace Little
Natalie Kohler
Heidi Gilman Bennett
Lisa Capraro
Jessica Harris
Bill LeSueur
Deanna Gould
Kori Price
Nancy Kassam-Adams
Olivia Hathaway
ceejay renner-thomas
Organizations & Community Partners
Milkweed Clay Studio
The Paramount Theater
Charlottesville Ballet
Virginia Book Arts
The Scrappy Elephant
WTJU 91.1 FM
Live Arts, Inc.
raging buffalo glass
Empowered Players
Light House Studio
Charlottesville Black Arts Collective
Milk Glass