The Arizona Commission on the Arts is pleased to announce the hiring of Christina You-sun Park as the new Executive Director. Park will officially join the staff this Friday, June 21.
The announcement comes a day after Governor Katie Hobbs signed the State’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025. The budget includes a one-time appropriation of $2 million for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Christina You-sun Park is a seasoned leader with a diverse background in arts administration, equitable creative placemaking, grantmaking, and cultural research. Prior to accepting the position of Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, she served as the Associate Director at the Studio for Creativity, Place, and Equitable Communities at Arizona State University. There she led a dynamic team in pioneering programs and research that highlight the pivotal role of arts and culture in community wellbeing and development.
The Arts Commission’s 15-member board of Governor-appointed commissioners voted unanimously to hire You-sun Park following a nation-wide search and intensive interview process facilitated by All About People, a Phoenix-based professional staffing and executive search firm.
“Christina emerged early as a leading candidate for the position and through a rigorous interview process established herself as the ideal person to lead the Arts Commission into the future,” said Jackie Alling, who has held the Executive Director position on an interim basis since January 2023.
Throughout her career, Park has excelled in fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, serving as a liaison with local community partners, national organizations, and government agencies. In her previous role as the Art Collections Manager for the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, she collaborated with other departments to advance the equitable distribution of public funds in infrastructure maintenance and community services. As an experienced educator, Park has taught at Arizona State University and Phoenix College, and has spearheaded several leadership, workforce, and artist professional development initiatives.
Beyond her administrative endeavors, Park is also a practicing artist, having contributed to groups such as the Eyelounge Artists Collective, Salem Art Works, and Franconia Sculpture Park. Holding a Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, Park is deeply committed to promoting equity and the transformative power of art and culture to inspire dialogue and drive positive change.
Park assumes leadership of the Arts Commission on the eve of a new Fiscal Year. The State’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on July 1, 2024, was passed with bi-partisan support in the Legislature on Saturday, June 15, and signed by the Governor on Tuesday afternoon. The budget includes a one-time appropriation of $2 million to the Arizona Commission on the Arts, down from last year’s $5 million appropriation. These one-time legislative appropriations comprise the bulk of the agency’s annual grantmaking, which supports nonprofit arts organizations, arts festivals, and arts learning programs throughout the state.
With a record number of grant applications under consideration for FY2025 funding, the Arts Commission’s staff and board of commissioners will work closely to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of available funds throughout the state. More information on the agency’s FY2025 grantmaking will be shared later this summer.
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