Following a national search, Reston-based Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) today announced the appointment of Jonell Jaime Logan as the Institute's new Executive Director & Curator. Logan will start on Oct. 28. The appointment comes as the Institute, formerly the Greater Reston Arts Center, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.
“Tephra ICA’s mission is not only to promote innovative art and thinking, but to advocate for the arts and artists with curiosity and care. I believe in this mission and am honored to be the next Executive Director to support this work," said Logan.
Logan has an MFA in Drawing and Painting, Printmaking from Brooklyn College. Originally from New York, Logan has worked in arts organizations that include The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of Art; Studio Museum in Harlem; and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. Logan served as the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, NC and, more recently, she served as the Vice President + Creative Director at the McColl Center in Charlotte. During her tenure at McColl, she led the implementation of the newly adopted strategic plan, revamped the curatorial and Artist-in-Residence program, implemented a new studio rental and exhibition program in support of local artists, and was instrumental in helping to secure $100,000 in new funding from the Warhol Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Logan’s commitment to the arts is paralleled by her belief in the importance of community and investment in servant leadership, says Tephra’s release. She is the immediate past president of the Junior League of Charlotte, has served on the board of the Women's Impact Fund and OF/BY/FOR All, and is an alumnus of the American Leadership Forum. Through her work, Logan has learned the power of systems and the importance of intentionally stretching organizations to evolve in ways that are authentic, inclusive and impactful.
”Jonell is an established and innovative leader, bringing exceptional curatorial, management, and fundraising experience gained at respected institutions in our sector," said Robert Goudie, Tephra ICA Board Chair. He added that Tephra took the “unusual step of entering into a five-year commitment. … That stability will be especially important as we seek during that time to identify and close on our new home in Reston, an American Alliance of Museums-accredited and larger space that will allow us to expand what we can deliver to the region.”
Gallery hours: Wednesday–Friday, 11am–5pm and Saturday, 12–3pm
More information can be found at tephraica.org.