The Houston Arts Alliance Appoints Taylor Jackson as its New CEO
HOUSTON, TX, February 12, 2025 – The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) Board of Directors has unanimously chosen Taylor Jackson to fill the role as its next CEO. Jackson, who served as Interim CEO and the former Director of Grants at HAA, brings with her a track record as a strategic leader and a passion for equitable access to arts and cultural programming. As HAA embarks on this next phase, Jackson notably takes the helm as the first woman and first person of color to lead the organization in its 19-year history. Jackson succeeds John Abodeely in this role who led HAA from 2017 to 2024.
“I am honored to lead Houston Arts Alliance into its next chapter. This role presents a meaningful opportunity to strengthen how HAA supports and advocates for Houston’s remarkable and diverse arts and cultural sector. With our dedicated staff and a deepened collaboration with the City, we will continue championing a dynamic and thriving arts ecosystem for Houston.”
After joining HAA in March 2022, Jackson led HAA’s largest division as Director of Grants where she spearheaded efforts to increase grant applications. Under her direction, grant applications reached historic levels, with several programs seeing significant increases, doubling the number of applicants from prior years. As Director of Grants, she prioritized creating more equitable and transparent grantmaking processes, including the launch of the Grants Working Groups, an initiative designed to enhance communication with applicants and integrate community feedback into funding decisions. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson focused on reintroducing in-person engagement opportunities and expanding access to information about the city funded grant application process, which has been well received by artists.
“The Houston arts ecosystem is both a vibrant part of Houston’s identity and a critical economic driver in our region. Taylor’s visionary leadership and proven track record of innovation and equity-building are exactly what HAA needs to continue to help artists and arts organizations be bold, productive and strong,” added HAA’s Board Chair Michele Leal Farah.
Before joining Houston Arts Alliance, Taylor served as Executive Director at Providence ¡CityArts! for Youth in Providence, Rhode Island. There, she worked as the liaison between governance, financial planning, and strategic alignment of mission, vision, and values. Taylor received an M.A. in Public Humanities from Brown University and a B.A. in History from Rhodes College located in Memphis, TN.
About Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture organization whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA’s work is conducted through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community, such as disaster preparation, research on the state of the arts in Houston, and temporary public art projects that energize neighborhoods. In short, HAA helps artists and nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. To learn more about HAA, visit www.houstonartsalliance.com and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonArtsAlliance.
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