Sunday, August 10
Buffalo, NY — Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center is proud to announce the appointment of Parrish Gibbons as its new Executive Director, following the retirement of longtime leader Edmund Cardoni. Gibbons, who has served as Hallwalls' Deputy Executive Director and previously as Director of Development & Communications, brings over a decade of experience in Western New York's arts and cultural sector.
Gibbons' connection to the arts in Buffalo began in 2011 just across the street from Hallwalls at Starlight Studio and Art Gallery, a program of the Learning Disabilities Association of WNY (LDA). She later served as Board President of LDA, guiding the organization through its merger with the Cantalician Center for Learning to become the Beyond Support Network of WNY. At Arts Services Initiative of WNY, she ran the Arts Access program, connecting residents across the region with free and low-cost cultural opportunities, and supported regional artists and cultural organizations through grantmaking and professional development. At the Kenan Center in Lockport, she launched new programs such as Music in the Gardens and led the creation of Daisy's Adventure Garden, a capital project creating an outdoor learning and play space on the Kenan campus. Gibbons is also co-owner of Plak Art Plus, a plaque mounting business in North Tonawanda.
Beyond her professional life, Gibbons is a mom—first and foremost—to a nine-year-old daughter. She resides in Lockport, NY, making her a two-county worker who brings a unique regional perspective on the needs of Western New York, not just Buffalo, to her leadership role.