RESTON, VA.- Following a national hiring search, Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) today announced the appointment of Jonell Jaime Logan as the Institute's new Executive Director & Curator. Ms. Logan will start on October 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 Ms. Logan.
Ms. Logan is a curator, arts advocate, and non-profit leader who believes in building visionary, mission-driven organizations that support contemporary art and culture. She has an MFA in Drawing and Painting, Printmaking from Brooklyn College. Originally from New York, Ms. 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. Ms. 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.
Her curatorial portfolio includes Jan-Ru Wan: The Noise We Make (2019), an independently curated exhibition at North Carolina's Mint Museum 5th Floor Extension; Rumi Maki: Infinite Harmonics of Southern Alchemy (2022), featuring the work of William Cordova; and And We Went (2023), guest curated at the Baton Rouge Gallery of Contemporary Art, an exhibition of the work of twelve American artists inspired by the 1963 attempted swim-in at the segregated City Park pool, an event that became a critical moment in Baton Rouge history. Yard Sale (2022), co-curated with artist Janet Loren Hill for Spring/Break LA, was awarded that venue's first-ever Golden Palm award for best installation.
Ms. Logan’s commitment to the arts is only paralleled by her belief in the importance of community and investment in servant leadership. 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, Ms. 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. “Add to that her national reach, and even amidst a deep and strong candidate pool she stood out. We took the unusual step of entering into a five-year commitment, reflecting our belief in her and her belief in Tephra ICA. 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. We are thrilled to have a leader of such accomplishment and vision bring Tephra ICA into the next decade of our evolution.”
"I am excited to join Tephra ICA at this dynamic point in its history," added Ms. Logan. "We are committed to the legacy of supporting local and national/international artists in concrete ways while looking to the future. I can’t wait for what’s next."
Tephra ICA is a non-profit, non-collecting institution committed to promoting innovative contemporary art and thinking. Leading with curiosity and care, the organization is a catalyst, generator, and advocate for visual and interdisciplinary arts. Tephra ICA’s gallery is free and open to the public.
