Mayor Parker chooses new arts and culture chief

Valerie Gay is the city’s new head of arts and culture, several arts insiders said Wednesday.

A trained soprano with degrees from Temple University and the University of the Arts, Gay, 58, was most recently deputy director of audience engagement and chief experience officer at the Barnes Foundation. Previously, she had been executive director of the Art Sanctuary.

Arts leaders said they were thrilled with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s appointment, not only for Gay’s experience, but also because the post is expected to be elevated to a cabinet-level position within the mayor’s administration.

“With Val’s appointment we believe that the arts and culture sector now has several champions embedded within the administration,” said Patricia Wilson Aden, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. “This is such a strong affirmation of the mayor’s response to the arts and culture community’s advocacy of appointing a high-level cabinet person, and we are very happy Mayor Parker has responded — and by bringing in someone at helm that is so very well-qualified. No one could better bring all of the qualities that we are looking for in our next arts and culture leader.”

A spokesman for the mayor declined to comment.

In addition to her experience in the arts, the Philadelphia-born Gay has a background in fundraising and investment. She was assistant dean for institutional advancement at Temple’s College of Education, as well as director of development and alumni affairs. Before that she was vice president and portfolio manager at PNC Advisors, where she managed investments for high net-worth individuals and family trusts.

“Val has a background in business, she understands the creative economy and arts and culture’s influence on the economy, but she’s a creative as well,” said Aden. “She’s been involved with small organizations and large organizations. She is at the nexus of a lot of those things.”

Mayor Parker spoke about the importance of arts and culture to the city’s future in February at the Kimmel Center announcement that Verizon Hall will be renamed for Marian Anderson.

Addressing the arts leaders in attendance, she said: “You are what I would consider to be a part of the nucleus of what is a great unifier in our globe, in our commonwealth and here in our city, no matter the race, class, socio-economic status, the zip code, sexual orientation or identity, and/or religion. There is something about melody, music, and art that allows us to feel our human oneness.

“As mayor of this city,” she said, “I promise I won’t be afraid to make the tough decisions needed to ensure that this community thrives.”