“Kitty
has done a remarkable job of bringing the Asheville Area Arts Council this far
from where it was when she came on board as its executive director five years
ago,” said Gar Ragland, AAAC Board Chair. “Her intelligence, vision and passion
for the arts and those who create it in Asheville and Buncombe County have been
an inspiration to many of us who have worked with her. Some of the Arts
Council's most important initiatives – The Refinery, Kids Tixx in partnership
with Joel Adams, the Buncombe Cultural Alliance and our annual Creative Sector
Summit – were all cultivated under her directorship, and are valuable
contributions to this community."
During
Love’s time as Executive Director, the AAAC renewed their relationship with the
NC State Art Council, becoming the leading grant-making agency for artists and
art programs in the area. Love’s dedication to strengthening the ties from our
community to the city and state in working to show the economic engine of the
arts has made a notable impact. Programs created under her directorship
include “Artist Business Brainstorms,” the Certificate in Arts Business
Management (a cooperative program with AB Tech), the Design and Marketing
Symposium and the Artist Resource Center—a design lab for local artists. This
groundwork has laid an invaluable foundation for the council to move forward.
In fact, the council’s latest development by Studio & Exhibitions Manager
Jennifer Gordon, the Refinery, is just one of many positive steps in providing
affordable resources, space, and access to artists and arts education in this
community to continue that work. The AAAC plans to shift their headquarters to
the Coxe Avenue location in the coming months to strengthen that connection
from the council to the artists and the Asheville community.
“The
Asheville Area Arts Council's board and staff are very excited about The
Refinery, our new, soon-to-open artist, co-op, exhibition, office and event
space at 207 Coxe Avenue in the South Slope. With our pending relocation of
office and gallery space to The Refinery, we’re committed to being fully
invested in the growth of the exciting innovation in downtown Asheville, where
all of our programs can flourish and serve the artist community under one
roof,” said Ragland.
To reach interim director
Stefanie Darr, stefanie@ashevillearts.com
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