As established by ordinance Article K, Sec. 2-4-90 - Sec. 2-4-91:

(a) There is hereby established a standing commission known as the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.

(b) The Commission shall consist of 16 members to be appointed by the City Council. The composition of the Commission shall be as follows:

1. Four members shall have expertise in the arts, including, but not limited to, arts educators, professional practitioners of various art disciplines and professional administrators working in the arts;
2. Three members shall have specific expertise in visual arts either as professional practitioners of visual art, curators of visual art, or as professional arts administrators currently working in the field;
3. Three members shall represent the public at large, as arts consumers or participants;
4. Three members shall be professionals in fields relevant to arts and cultural development, including cultural planning, marketing, finance, funding, tourism, promotion, non profit organizational development, and real estate development;
5. Two members shall be professionals in the field related to the visual appearance of the cityscape, such as architecture, environmental design, landscape architecture or urban design; and
6. One member shall be a student who resides in the city and attends a high school located in the City of Alexandria.

(a) The functions of the Commission shall be as follows:

1. to advise City Council with regard to policies that will strengthen the arts and further public access to the arts and cultural matters identified by the City Council;
2. to establish and periodically review criteria and standards for arts grant applications for city funds and accountability for the use of such funds; the allocation from such funds to eligible organizations and activities as may be appropriated by the city council for such purpose; 
3. to review the public art annual work plan as developed by the office of the arts and a work plan task force and make recommendations to the city council as part of the budget process; 
4. to review and approve public art project plans for specific public art projects, and to review and approve artist selection and concept development; 
5. to create committees and task forces, as necessary, to focus on public art project development and artist selection; 
6. to review proposals for donations of public art and commemorative art and make recommendations to the city council; 
7. to collaborate with the office of the arts on public art project evaluations; and 
8. to support public communication and outreach as related to the arts and;
9. to serve as citizen liaisons to city planning initiatives when public art is involved. 

(b) The commission is empowered to adopt rules and regulations in regard to procedure and other matters so long as the same are not inconsistent with the city code, including, but not limited to, the establishment of committees, through which to carry on its functions and purpose.

(c) A commission chair, vice-chair and secretary shall be elected annually by the commission members at the organization meeting designated in the commission's bylaws. (Ord. No. 3782, 2/25/95, Sec. 1; Ord. No. 4482, 5/12/07, Sec. 1; Ord. No. 4920, 1/24/15, Sec. 1) 

The Commission meets on the third Tuesday of the each month at 7 p.m., at the Lee Center (1108 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, VA 22314) unless otherwise posted on the City Calendar. All meetings are open to the public.  

Term of Service:

• 3-year term

 List of Members:

• Scott Abeles, Public at Large/Arts Consumer
• Anila Angjeli, Profession in Cityscape/Architecture
• Alvah Beander, Expertise in Visual Arts
• Stacey Becker, Professional in Arts/Cultural Development
• Marcee Craighill, Professional in Field/Arts Disciplines
• Catherine Dehoney, Secretary, Professional in Field/Arts Disciplines
• Robin Jordan, Expertise in Visual Arts
• Brian Kelley, Chair, Expertise in Visual Arts
• Chris (William) Kurowski, Professional in Arts/Cultural Development
• Jason Longfellow, Professional in Field/Arts Disciplines
• Jillian Organek, Student Member
• Paul Painter, 1st Vice Chair, Public at Large/Arts Consumer
• David Pritzker, Professional in Field/Arts Disciplines 
• Trena Raines, 2nd Vice Chair, Professional in Cityscape/Architecture
• Dawn Rogala, Professional in Field/Arts Disciplines

• Ashley Smith, Public at Large/Arts Consumer

   

Vacancies: Vacancies and application information 

Diane Ruggiero
Office of the Arts
Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities
703.746.5590
diane.ruggiero@alexandriava.gov