From August 2025 to January 2026, New City Arts Initiative engaged an independent consultant to explore whether a coordinated Charlottesville Area Arts Council could strengthen the local arts ecosystem. Ruby Lopez Harper, previously responsible for supporting 4,500 local arts agencies during her time at Americans for the Arts, brought local arts agency expertise to this research. New City Arts was the administrative home for the study with Maureen Brondyke (Executive Director) serving as the project lead.
