Galax hires leader to head up Chesnut Creek School of the Arts project

News Release
Published: March 26, 2008

Read the news release below from Galax:

The City of Galax is pleased to announce that it has named Christina Shackelford as Director of the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts and Penny Moseley as Associate Director for the school.  Shackelford, from Willis, is currently Director of Educational Programming for the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, a position she has held since 2004.  She has been with the Jacksonville Center since 2001, having served as an Administrative Assistant and Program Director prior to her current position as Director of Educational Programming.  Shackelford holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She has also taught numerous courses in art at the Jacksonville Center and the Somerset Art Center in New Jersey.

Penny Moseley was also named as Associate Director of CCSA.  Moseley, from Hillsville, has deep roots in several area arts and non-profit organizations.  She is a former executive director of the Twin County Arts Council and currently co-owns and publishes the Big Blue Magazine, which focuses on the arts and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountain region of SW Virginia and North Carolina.  She is also a co-owner of the cooperative that owns City Gallery in downtown Galax.  Moseley holds a BS degree in Financial Management from Mundelein College in Chicago and a Master of Art degree in Liberal Arts from Hollins College in Roanoke.  She is also an adjunct faculty member of Wytheville Community College, where she teaches various art classes.  Moseley was the former chairman of the CCSA steering committee appointed by the Galax City Council, before stepping down in November. 

“We are so pleased to get two high caliber and exceptionally qualified people,” said Galax City Manager Keith Holland.  “We feel these two bring a wealth of experience and skills to the City and gives us an excellent opportunity to get the school off to a great start.”

The Chestnut Creek School of the Arts is a project of the City of Galax intended to help revitalize the central business district by offering an array of educational opportunities in the fine arts and to promote the local culture of the Twin Counties and highlight local artists and musicians through use of their talents as instructors.  The school will be located in the former First National Bank Building on Main Street in Galax.  The city received funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission along with private donations in 2006 to acquire the building and to restore it for the school.  The city has hired a Roanoke architectural firm of Spectrum Design to provide drawings and design with the intent of qualifying for federal and state tax credits for historic preservation.  Holland said he anticipates the project will be advertised for bids from qualified contractors by mid March, with construction beginning as early as June 2008.

The city initially advertised for a director for the school, but Holland said the strength of the two candidates caused the city to reconsider its plans.  “We had an opportunity to get a second position at the beginning of the school and thought we should take advantage of it.  Both Chris and Penny were too good to lose, and it was a difficult choice to have to pick just one.  In the end, Council felt the investment was worth it to give the school a better opportunity of getting established quickly by not putting all of the responsibility on just one person.”

The city originally agreed to accept the school within the local government structure to provide initial operating funds and hire staff, but hopes that as the school grows, it will be able to eventually operate as a separate non-profit organization with less financial support from the school.  “We feel if we can help the school get established, we can create some economic development opportunities while redefining the historic downtown,” said Mayor C.M. Mitchell.  “By providing some operating funds early, we think the school will soon be able to meet its operating needs through tuition, local support, and grants, and our financial role can diminish over time.  This is an investment in the city’s future.” Several arts schools around the nation have shown to create economic stimulation for rural communities and help make the area attractive to new investors and jobs in small business and encourage entrepreneurial development.

“I am really excited about this undertaking and really look forward to joining the City of Galax in this effort,” said Chris Shackelford.  “The support of the city is a big reason to believe that the school can succeed.  I am ready to begin meeting the local artists, steering committee members, and business community soon and begin the tasks at hand.” Shackelford also said one of her first priorities is to develop the working relationship with the steering committee and City Council and staff.  “We need to develop a unified vision of what we want the school to be and how it relates to the community, and establish a timeline to meet critical objectives that will lead to the fulfillment of this vision,” she said.

Moseley said “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to continue to develop the school.  It has been a project that took roots along with Crossroads and it is very gratifying to be able to assist in bringing it to fruition.  I look forward to working with Chris, the steering committee members and City fathers, a group sure to make a difference in the economic growth of our community through the arts.”

Holland said some of the first priorities for the new staff will be to assist in the oversight of the building renovation project, developing a web site and promotional material, lining up instructors and development of a class program, fund raising, and raising community awareness of the school.  He said that now with a staff in place, plans can now begin in earnest for developing the educational and programming component, with the hopes to be able to offer classes on a regular basis when the building renovations are complete in the fall of 2008.