Christian Gaines Elected as Next Chair of USRAOs
Christian Gaines Elected as the Next Chair of the USRAO Collective.
In August 2024, the United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs) Directors and their board leadership met in Georgia for their Annual Retreat. At that meeting, Todd Stein (Mid-America Arts Alliance) and Torrie Allen (Arts Midwest) concluded their terms as co-chairs of the USRAO collective. The Directors elected Christian Gaines (Creative West, formerly WESTAF) as the new chair helming this collective of six non-profit organizations that work to strengthen and support arts, culture, and creativity across America. Todd Stein will remain as Immediate Past Chair for one year to support the transition of leadership.
In their time as co-chairs, Todd and Torrie shepherded the USRAOs through a variety of significant milestones, including establishing and filling the position of the first-ever National Director to lead the efforts of the collective. Under their leadership, the USRAOs launched two national funding programs (ArtsHERE and Cultural Sustainability) that will distribute nearly $19 million to arts organizations rooted in their communities.
Additionally, during their tenure, the collective came together to participate in the National Leaders of Color Fellowship program, a transformative leadership development experience curated by Creative West in order to broaden multicultural leadership in the cultural sector. Designed and initiated by Creative West in 2010, the program expanded nationwide in 2022 in partnership with the other USRAOs.
“It has been a thrill to serve alongside Torrie Allen during a time in which the USRAO collective has been in rapid evolution. The commitment of the collective to create the position of USRAO National Director and the addition of multiple national programs have demonstrated what we can accomplish when we work collaboratively,” remarked Todd Stein.
As the new chair, Christian will work closely with Shannon Daut, the USRAO National Director, to plan and implement a dynamic and inclusive strategic planning process to drive the future work of the collective.
“Todd and Torrie’s guidance as co-chairs of the USRAO collective has been invaluable, as has Shannon’s inspiring leadership in the new position of National Director,” noted Christian Gaines, Creative West Executive Director. “It’s a thrilling moment for the USRAO collective because we’re diving into a rigorous planning process to ensure that the vision and scope of this nationwide, collaborative effort are bold, healthy and responsive to our sector.”
About the US RAOs
The United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs) are a collective of six nonprofit arts service organizations (Arts Midwest, Mid Atlantic Arts, Mid-America Arts Alliance, New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and Creative West ) committed to strengthening America’s infrastructure by increasing access to creativity for all Americans. We serve the nation’s artists, arts and culture organizations, and creative communities with programs that reflect and celebrate the diversity of the field in which we work. We partner with the National Endowment for the Arts, state arts agencies, individuals, and other public and private funders to develop and deliver programs, services, and products that advance arts and creativity. Together, the USRAOs work to activate and operate national arts initiatives, encourage, and support collaboration across regions, states, and communities, and maximize the coordination of public and private resources invested in arts programs. In Fiscal Year 2023, the USRAOs invested over $18.4 million across the United States and Jurisdictions, through nearly 2,400 grants that reached more than 1,000 communities.
