Americans for the Arts is pleased to announce today that Ruby Lopez Harper will be joining the organization as the new Director of Local Arts Services, starting January 11, 2016.  

 

Harper will serve as the primary expert and partner to the 4,800 local arts agencies and other local-level arts and cultural service organizations in the United States. She will be responsible for shepherding an ambitious 10-year vision for increasing the relevance of arts and culture in American communities, working in conjunction with team members and the rest of Americans for the Arts. Harper joins Americans for the Arts after serving nine years as Grants & Services Director at the Greater Columbus Arts Council in Columbus, Ohio. 

 

“It’s wonderful to welcome Ruby to the Americans for the Arts staff team” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Ruby’s long association with Americans for the Arts, including her time as a member of the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Advisory Council, as well as her stellar work in Columbus and beyond, will no doubt be a great benefit to the organization, to our members, and to the national arts and culture field.”

 

At the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Harper focused on grantmaking, community development, economic development and tourism, and public art. She brings deep expertise in how arts and culture work with other sectors and contributors to community health, and a strong background in issues of cultural equity, access, and diversity, which are core components of Americans for the Arts’ missions and strategic goals.

 

Originally from California, where she was a dance instructor, Harper continues to work with local arts organizations creating choreography for their musical theatre productions. She has served on a number of grant panels for the Ohio Arts Council, Kentucky Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Harper has an associate degree from Cerritos College, a certificate in Corporate Community Involvement from Boston College, is a trained meeting facilitator, and a Certified Tourism Ambassador.