Kat champions community-driven public art projects and continues to stay abreast of national public art best practices and policies with specific interests in social change and racial equity in the art. In 2005, Kat relocated to Chattanooga, TN where she continued to work on behalf of the arts and social services, earning a Master of Public Administration in Local Government Management. She joined the City of Chattanooga as Public Art Coordinator, assuming the role of Director of Public Art in 2020. During her tenure, Kat provided consulting to other municipalities and local art agencies specific to project implementation, policy and cross-departmental collaboration, but of particular honor was serving as the Advance Logistics Lead on the Local Host Committee for Project for Public Spaces’ 3rd Annual International Placemaking Week in 2019, which brought over 600 participants from 17 countries to Chattanooga for a week of programming focused on equity. This experience complemented training at the 2019 Racial Equity in Arts Leadership Symposium at Vanderbilt University, and the selection as one of fifty-five individuals from across the country to participate in the Americans for the Arts’ Artists at the Community Development Table training in 2019. As part of the City’s Community Engagement Core Team, she completed 18 months of continuing education through Race Forward’s Governmental Alliance on Race and Equity, and the Racial Equity Institute’s Phase 1 Workshop, examining foundations in historical and institutional racism in 2021. This expertise has provided critical perspective to public art projects intended to provide healing, reconciliation and community empowerment.
Kat began her chapter in Jacksonville in October 2022 as Assistant Director for the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and is a proud member of Florida Humanities, Florida Association of Public Art Professionals. She was promoted to Public Art Director in May 2023 to provide strategic guidance, direction and implementation of a comprehensive Arts program as the official local arts agency for the City of Jacksonville.
