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.
Participate
To join a listening sessions, contribute ideas, lend your support for this planning process publicly, receive updates, and/or offer your space for an arts council planning process event, complete an interest form here. You do not need to be affiliated with an organization or institution.
Upcoming Public Events
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Kick-Off & Steering Committee Welcome
Oct 15 4:30-6:00PM
at McGuffey Art CenterJoin us for a celebratory launch event!
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Community Conversation: Shaping a Future Arts Council
Oct 16 9:00AM-3:00PM
at JSAAHCFree, lunch provided. RSVP required.
Steering Committee
To ensure this work is shaped by the people the Arts Council would serve, a Steering Committee is guiding the planning process, reviewing findings, and co-creating recommendations.
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Dr. Andrea Douglas is the founding executive director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. in arts management and finance from Binghamton University, and completed the Getty Leadership Institute program.
From 2004 to 2010, she served as curator of collections, exhibitions, and contemporary art at the University of Virginia Art Museum. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in African American and contemporary art and published scholarly works. At the Heritage Center, she has curated exhibitions of local and regional African American artists.
Douglas’s leadership extends widely: she has served on commissions addressing slavery, segregation, and lynching in Virginia; advisory committees at UVA and Monticello; and numerous local boards including the Emily Couric Leadership Forum and the Miller School. She also chaired Charlottesville’s PLACE Design Task Force and the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Race and Monuments.
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Brittany Fan is a painter, photographer, illustrator, and designer based in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A graduate of UVA, she holds an interdisciplinary degree in studio art, art history, and arts administration, as well as a masters in education. While studying at the University, she began to investigate the intersection of the arts and community, exploring the significance and potential impact that creative practices can have in forming the maker, the audience, as well as society at large. Her work across various disciplines converges with the common thread of capturing and illuminating stories, with the belief that storytelling and meaning-making are crucial to our understanding of and experience of the world we live in.
Brittany is a senior designer at Journey Group, where she specializes in print design, photography, and editorial illustration. She is a former board member of New City Arts, and is involved with several other local non-profits.
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Fenella Belle is an artist and educator who lives in Charlottesville, Va.She is currently the Chairperson of Visual and Performing Arts at Piedmont Virginia Community College which includes overseeing PVCC’s V. Earl Dickinson Gallery and the annual “Let There Be Light” community event.
Belle is also an associate member of McGuffey Art Center and has worked as a Museum Educator at Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, an Exhibit Designer at the Virginia Discovery Museum and a traveling Educator for VMFA’s Statewide Programs.
She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. When she’s not in her studio or teaching, you may find her wandering around in the woods of Greene County with her husband and dogs.
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Jeremy Stern has been a Charlottesville resident for over twenty years, originally moving here for school before choosing to make the city his permanent home.He’s worked in marketing and data analytics for two local digital agencies, while occasionally moonlighting as a substitute bar trivia host.
Outside of work, Jeremy stays engaged with the local arts community, having served five years on the board of the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative and currently in his second year of hosting CreativeMornings Charlottesville. His favorite Charlottesville art events are a tie between the Virginia Film Festival, CLAW, and Techno Bingo at the Bridge.
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Ann E. Wall began serving as Deputy County Manager for Albemarle County in December 2023. In this role, she provides leadership to Community Development, Facilities and Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation and Community and Public Engagement departments.
Ms. Wall has more than 30 years of experience in public service in North Carolina and Florida working in budget and community development as well as six years as Assistant City Manager and six years as City Manager. Ms. Wall’s most recent position was a City Manager of Greenville North Carolina. She has a Bachelor of City Planning from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Courtney has led the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) as the Executive Director since August 2019. Under her leadership, the CACVB has become a national leader in creating welcoming environments through destination stewardship and has crafted Destination 2045, Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s first tourism master plan, including support for the Arts.Through her team’s efforts, Charlottesville was recognized in 2023 by Wine Enthusiast with a Wine Star award as the Wine Region of the Year. Her work has been recognized with a U.S. Travel Association’s Destiny Award and HSMAI Adrian Award for Discover Black Cville and as a Destiny Award finalist for the Monticello Wine Trail. She received the George Washington University Master’s of Tourism Administration Alumni Award for Social Impact. She is the author of The Future of Destination Organizations: A Guide to a Community-based Welcome.
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My name is Jalia Dillard, and I’m a multidisciplinary creative from Martinsville, VA.I have a BA from the University of Virginia in Interdisciplinary Studies. With a concentration in Arts Administration, Marketing, and New Media, I am passionate about the research and impact of influencer marketing on Gen Z.
In 2023, I became part of the Charlottesville arts community. I supported creative programming and community engagement as an educator and marketing intern with The Bridge PAI, Light House Studio, and the Charlottesville Mural Project. I also served as Creative Programs and Engagement Coordinator for Ridgeway, VA, consulting on their website and installing a mural.
I currently work as Graphic Designer and Content Creator for Light House Studio, where I focus on expanding social media and reaching Gen Z audiences. In the future, I aim to continue building accessible creative spaces and advancing creative direction that connects communities through art.
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James Freas is Deputy City Manager for Operations for the City of Charlottesville, overseeing the Public Works, Planning, Housing, Utilities, and Transit departments. Prior to this role he led the Neighborhood Development Services Department, the planning and development department of the City.James has worked in planning in both Virginia and Massachusetts leading many different planning and zoning projects tackling issues of housing, transportation, economic development, downtown revitalization and environmental quality.
James holds master's degrees in planning from the University of Rhode Island and in environmental law from Vermont Law School.
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Natasha is an artist and filmmaker based in Charlottesville, VA, where she is the assistant director of Visible Records.Committed to using filmmaking as a tool for inquiry, collective organizing, and worldmaking, she has organized a number of screenings and workshops at DIY and artist-forward spaces across the country.
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Jessica Harris is an interdisciplinary theatre artist who seeks to uplift undertold stories and vitalize the human spirit.She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Empowered Players, a 501(c)3 arts education nonprofit based in Fluvanna and Charlottesville. Through EP, she directs and provides yearlong accessible arts programs for K-12 students, and her TEDx Talk titled “The Transformative Power of Theater in Rural Communities” highlights her work.
Jessica Harris is also the Assistant Director of Community Research at the Center for Community Partnerships at UVA. She is a descendant of enslaved communities in Central Virginia, including those at Monticello and UVA, and she currently serves as board president for the Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia.
She is pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Out of School Learning, and her work is situated at the intersection of community engagement, education, and arts and place-based praxis.
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Olivia is a gamer and local political organizer who’s called Charlottesville home since 2011.She loves being part of the city’s vibrant community and can often be found at local arts events, neighborhood gatherings, or cheering on friends’ creative projects.
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Annie is an artist and educator focused on material, psychology, and movement. Through costume, creatures, painting, and performance, Annie tells stories of deeply embodied, inner legends. Much of her inspiration stems from research on a Watson Fellowship in traditional textile design around the globe.
Annie is the Associate Technical Director at Live Arts where she guides collective world-building and creative process.
As an educator, she co-teaches the Art of the Moving Creature at UVA- focused on building and bringing-to-life giant creatures the size of a bus.
Elsewhere in Virginia, she can be found teaching through the VMFA , where she invites students to cultivate individual paths into the unknown, to bring awareness to the embodied process of making, and to practice meaningful collaboration.
Annie has a soft spot in her heart for math and she loves to dance! Find her at: www.annietemmink.com
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Dutch Senft is a visual artist, gallerist, and current Aunspaugh Fellow at the University of Virginia from Baltimore, MD.He began painting in his teens after his older brother, artist Archer Senft, became a quadriplegic in 2015 and could no longer physically paint. Acting as Archer's hands, they collaborated on large-scale acrylic works which inspired Dutch to pursue his own practice.
Today, Dutch's paintings explore the absurdities and contradictions of contemporary life through figurative scenes that warp everyday experiences into satirical and theatrical narratives, capturing both humor and instability in the modern day.
Alongside his studio practice, he serves as Assistant Director of Archer Hawkins Gallery in Baltimore, an artist-run and accessible exhibition space recently founded by his brother and dedicated to supporting emerging painters, printmakers, and illustrators.
Dutch graduated from the University of Virginia and the McIntire School of Commerce in 2025 with degrees in Painting and Marketing and a minor in Art History.
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Jordan Perry is a Charlottesville based musician and educator. He has been involved with the Music Resource Center (MRC) for several years and joined its staff as Program Director in 2022. He was formerly the Education Director for MIMA Music in Charlottesville.Jordan is active as a solo performer and collaborator in area groups including New Boss, Night Teacher, Ned Oldham, Ear Infection, and Uncle Pen. Additionally, Jordan has curated numerous performances at area venues such as Visible Records, The MRC, The Bridge PAI, and others.
Jordan has been a music educator for 15+ years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar Performance from the Boyer College of Music at Temple University in Philadelphia. His teaching life took him to Ramallah, Palestine between 2012-2014 where he was a faculty member of the Al Kamandjati School, a Palestinian founded and facilitated music education organization active in the occupied West Bank.
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Tobiah Mundt is a sculptural fiber artist from Houston, Texas.She started her career as an Architect after attending Howard University in Washington, DC and made the move from the practice of architecture to a full time art practice in 2004.
She currently resides in Charlottesville, VA where she is a founding member of the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective, a Resident Artist at McGuffey Art Center, and a teacher for the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts.
What Does the Steering Committee Do?
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:
Offers insights and feedback throughout the planning process
Helps shape the vision, values, and proposed structure of a future Arts Council
Elevates community needs and ideas through collaborative discussion
Steering Committee’s Guiding Principles
The Steering Committee include 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.
View the Steering Committee Charter here.
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!
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
Sharon Tolczyk
Greg Antrim Kelly
Katherine Turner
Ewa Harr
Jenny Wales
Kristen Chiacchia
Andrew Betz
Elise Heartwell
Jo Griffith
Nici Cumpston
Brenda Patterson
Tara Mawyer
Amanda Liscouski
Kyle Ezer
Wendy Novicoff
Ellen Casey Wagner
Ann Ray
Tara Mawyer
CM Turner
Individuals
Shanti Norris
Ben Fey
Anne Hunter
Meg Kosefeski
Bree Luck
Jalia Dillard
Daniel Sender
Elika Tofigh
Lisa Woolfork
Carol Barber
Susannah Rubin
Jenny Mays
Melissa Charles
Morgan Ashcom
Tami Keaveny
Camille Gerrick
Olivia Gabbay
Fenella Belle
Jeremy Stern
M. Daniel
William Taylor
Martha Smythe
Lauren Maupin
Serena Gruia
Lotta Helleberg
Mimm Patterson
Benita Mayo
Christy Baker
Holly Odom
Geoffrey Close
Megan Donovan
Karen Milbourne
Hannah Foster
Wendy Smith
Phượng-Duyên Hải Nguyễn
Katen Reynolds
Miriam Gordon-Stewart
Paul Beyer
Janine Dozier
Kalynda Beal
Nicole Wade
Eleanore Neumann
Lisa Ryan
Anna Finan
Courtney Hopkins
Dawn Hanson
Carolyn Keurajian
Olivia Anderson
Andrea Hubbell
Jane Goodman
Athena Eastwood
Suzanne Loechl
Ashley Blazer
Ursula Bell
Jackie Watson
Organizations & Community Partners
Albemarle Ballet Theatre
American Focus, Inc.
Black Women Stitch
Charlottesville Ballet
Charlottesville Black Arts Collective
Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
CreativeMornings/Charlottesville
Crozet Arts
Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival
Cville Setlist
DMR Adventures
Eastwood Farm and Winery
Empowered Players
greenyellowblue co.
IX Arts Foundation
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA
Light House Studio
Live Arts, Inc.
Malleable Studios
McGuffey Art Center
Milk Glass
Milkweed Clay Studio
Phaeton Gallery
PVCC Art Department
raging buffalo glass
Rapunzel's Coffee and Books
Second Street Gallery
Studio IX
The Arc of the Piedmont Art Studio
The Charlottesville Jazz Society
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA
The Front Porch
The Paramount Theater
The Scrappy Elephant
Tom Tom Foundation
Victory Hall Opera
Virginia Book Arts
Virginia Discovery Museum
Virginia Film Festival
Virginia Theatre Festival
Visible Records
WriterHouse
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