The Walton Arts Center has promoted Jennifer Ross from director of programming to vice president of programming for the nonprofit performing arts center in Fayetteville, officials announced. Curt Owens will take over as the center’s new director of programming.
Ross has been with Walton Arts Center since 2002 when she started as the school performance coordinator. Before becoming director of programming, Ross was director of artist and client experience as well as director of production. She oversaw the artist contracting process and the full production crew, client and promoter rentals. In her new role, Ross will be responsible for booking all of the programming at Walton Arts Center.
Owens is a native of Pine Bluff who came to the arts center in Fayetteville after 11 years at NETworks Presentations, a touring production company for the Broadway theater community. Owens has worked on more than 40 productions including War Horse, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Before joining NETworks, Owens worked in both the producing and presenting divisions of Broadway Across America.
Support for the Walton Arts Center is provided by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Walton Arts Center is the largest and busiest performing arts presenter in Arkansas. Each year more than 215,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 300 public events at the Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings, and more. About 35,000 students and teachers participate in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center annually, and approximately 250 volunteers donate 28,000 hours of time each year to its operation. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artist, emerging jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, the Walton Arts Center enjoys generous support from public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to enjoy world-class performances.
Images Courtesy of Walton Arts Center
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