PROVIDENCE – Four new members have been appointed to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts following nominations by Gov. Daniel J. McKee and confirmation by the R.I. Senate, officials announced on May 4.
The appointees – Maggie Anderson of Johnston; André Herrera of Providence; Kara Kunst of Warwick; and Michael Rose of Providence – will join the state agency’s governing board, which oversees programs supporting arts organizations, artists and communities across Rhode Island.
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The appointments come as three longtime council members – Marisa Angell Brown, Dominique Alfandre and Jennifer Fonseca – step down from their roles.
“On behalf of Rhode Island, thank you to Dominique, Jennifer and Marisa for their tenure serving our arts community,” McKee said in a statement. “I am pleased to welcome Maggie, Andre, Kara and Michael to the Council.”
McKee added that service on the volunteer board is “commendable and important to our arts and culture sector,” noting its impact on both the state’s economy and residents’ quality of life.
Council Chair Lawrence Purtill said the new members bring experience that will help sustain the agency’s work.
“All four new members bring expertise and resources, which will assist us in continuing our momentum locally and nationally,” he said.
The incoming members represent a range of backgrounds in education, public policy and the arts.
Anderson serves as director of arts and development at Hope High School in Providence and has previously worked with the council in arts education. Kunst is director of policy for the R.I. Executive Office of Commerce, where she oversees policy and budget initiatives tied to economic development. Herrera, a Rhode Island native, works in municipal government in East Providence, focusing on policy and constituent services and coordinating with local and regional officials. Rose is a gallery manager at the Providence Art Club and an arts writer who has been involved in curating and organizing exhibitions across the region.
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency funded through legislative appropriations and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. It provides grants, technical assistance and support to a wide range of organizations, including schools, community centers and local governments.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor of the Providence Business News. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
