Fine Art Center announces new director, upcoming plans

Fine Art Center announces new director, upcoming plans News Staff Tue, 07/16/2024 - 5:52 pm Breckenridge Fine Arts Center Interim Executive Director Doylene Land (left) announces Rhonda Crawford (right) as the new Executive Director of the center. Crawford will take over for Shalon Wilson, who died in February. Photo/Mike Williams X By Mike Williams news@breckenridgeamerican.com A familiar face has stepped up to fill big shoes at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center.Five months after the sudden passing of previous director Shalon Wilson, Rhonda Crawford will step up to lead the center with big plans for the future. Crawford is no stranger to the city of Breckenridge and has served several roles in the community in recent years. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of Breckenridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has previously served the same role for the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce from 2016-2018 and served as interim executive director in 2022 before the hiring of current ED Yuri Huntington. Crawford said she will continue to work for the CVB while also working for the fine arts center. “This was kind of a surprise to me,” she said. “As you know, I am the Executive Director of the (CVB) and I will continue in that role. It is a part-time position and that is something I was very open and honest about, that it is a passion to me to bring events to our community. To let the youth here and others that have invested in the community get to experience things.” Crawford added that working with both organizations is a perfect fit as the CVB has wanted to partner more with the center to create more events to bring visitors to the city. Serving both roles allows Crawford to continue to follow her passion in life. “I’m really excited. Most of you know that I am passionate about our community,” she said. “Working with Doylene (Land) has been amazing. I don’t have the same experience that Shalon came to the table with but I do bring a completely different skill set. I think between what she had set in motion, what Doylene was able to bring back with the juried show …I want to learn what was working and what they wanted to build on. I’m really looking forward to both roles.” Doylene Land has been the Interim Executive Director since Feb. 2024 while the center looked for someone to take the role. Wilson, who was hired in June 2018 died Sunday, Feb. 18. Both Land, who is a local artist, and Crawford are putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Juried Art Show & Competition. After receiving few entries when submissions opened this spring, Land said she reached out to all of her contacts and had a huge response. “It was kind of crickets at first, it was two or three that entered,” Land said. “…I emailed everybody, every artist and every artist association that I could think of and that I had in my back pocket. At the end of the day we had 107 entries.” Land said this year’s show will have artists from six different states and 30 Texas towns. The 32nd Annual Juried Art Show & Competition opens to the public at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 23. The show will conclude with the artists’ reception from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. This year’s show will award $3,500 in prizes. The BFAC Best of Show Award winner will earn $1,500. The Lester & Virginia Clark Memorial Award is $750 and the Been Award is $250. New this year will be the $1,000 Shalon Taylor Wilson Memorial Award. BFAC will continue to celebrate Wilson’s life and artwork through the end of the year with a special exhibit following the juried art show. “We are ending the year with an exhibit of Shalon Taylor Wilson’s work,” Land said. “It’s to celebrate her artwork and to show the community what she has done in the art world. That’s a fun one, we’re going to make it exciting.” The center is actively looking for volunteers to serve short shifts. Land said her and Crawford are looking for volunteers to work the front desk to greet visitors and answer the phone. “It is hard to be the one person there to keep the door open and greet people coming in and yet do what needs to be done,” Land said. “You may need to go visit an artist or go look at something in Albany or just run to the post office or hang a show in the back. It’s hard to hang a show in the back when you have to watch the front door. So the word is we need volunteers even if it’s all different kinds for an hour or two a day.” The BFAC, located at 207 N. Breckenridge Ave., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. For more information, call 254-559-6602. News