Virginia Commission for the Arts Celebrates
Milestones and Leadership Transitions
Milestones
The Virginia Commission for the Arts is preparing for its annual June grant review and approval meeting in Richmond with a great sense of anticipation and accomplishment. On April 4th, the Commission celebrated its 50 th birthday party with a proclamation signing and group photo with Governor Ralph Northam. VCA cupcakes were included!  A text of the Governor’s proclamation can be found, here . The Governor thanked the commissioners and staff for their hard work and expressed his and First Lady Pam Northam’s support for the arts.  

The 13-member board and 7 staff are also completing the first full cycle of the new online grants management system, and the reviews have been positive. All grant applicants and nine grant review panels became essentially paper-free for the reviews around the state. One challenge was making sure there were plenty of outlets for reviewers’ laptops! On June 13 th and 14 th the Commission will review the recommendations of the panels and make the final decisions about grant funding by category and region for the arts organizations and programs across the state.

Leadership Transitions
The Commission is announcing that Margaret Vanderhye, Executive Director of the Commission since March, 2014 will be leaving her position at the end of June.
In summing up her time with the Commission, Margi said: “Given the significant milestones and accomplishments this board and staff have achieved together, and the passion and energy of our Virginia arts organizations, I know the next 50 years are going to be as inspiring as the first 50 years have been for the Virginia Commission for the Arts”. “I feel so privileged to have been a part of the VCA at such an historic time”, she concluded. Margi will continue to be involved in the arts from her home base in northern Virginia.

Three VCA commissioners are completing their 5-year terms and will be recognized and thanked for their contributions and achievements: Commission Chair Shelley Kruger Weisberg (Williamsburg), Commission Secretary Faye Bailey (Portsmouth), and Education Chair Wanda Judd (Lynchburg – at large). Commissioners Dorothy Blackwell (Lexington) and Bob Behr (Chincoteague Island) were acknowledged and thanked at the April 4 th meeting. The Governor will appoint two commissioners to fill their one-year unexpired terms and three new commissioners who will each serve for a full five-year term.

The Commission will meet at Agecroft Hall on June 13 th and 14 th in Richmond.