I officially stepped into my role as President & CEO of the Fund for the Arts (FFTA) on July 1, just after the 2021 campaign closed one day earlier. But, I had the privilege of starting my transition period at the beginning of June. In that time, I saw incredible dedication from the Fund for the Arts staff, the Board of Directors, and the larger Greater Louisville community as they strove to leverage the power of the arts to transform and heal our city. 

I’ve been fortunate to have worked all over the country in the service of arts and culture, from my work at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City to the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh, and have been blessed to travel all over the world through my consulting and talent management company, GuessWorks, Inc.

I was content to continue my consulting work for the rest of my career, but when the FFTA job posting was sent to me via LinkedIn, the work that this organization was doing and the change that it was already making in my city drew me in.  I just had to be a part of it!

During her tenure, my predecessor Christen Boone made great strides in democratizing the arts and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion for Louisville’s arts and culture ecosystem. In the last couple of years, with the tragic death of Breonna Taylor and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, FFTA, with your support, doubled down on its commitment to creating a more equitable and sustainable arts and culture community, which has a positive effect on the entire Greater Louisville community.

I am proud to stand on the firm foundation that Christen built and I can’t wait to see how we can continue empowering our community and expanding the change-making power of the arts in the lives of every person in our community. 

The arts are one of the purest expressions of the human condition. It is through the arts and the work of artists that we can make sense of the world that we inhabit. 

Our vision is for everyone in our city to self-identify as an artist. There is an art form out there for everyone, from music, dance, theater, and visual arts, to culinary, literary, design, fashion, needlepoint, landscaping, etc. We want to help you discover your inner artist, so you can proudly and unapologetically proclaim aloud to yourself and others, “I Am An Artist.” 

The world is a much better place because of the arts, especially when artists are making and sharing their art at all levels — beginner, amateur, grassroots, community, professional and world-class. 

I look forward to the day soon when we collectively christen Louisville as “The City of Artists.”  That day will come, but for it to happen, it must start with you. I Am An Artist and I know you are too!  Say it out loud and believe it in your heart!