Second Street Gallery Hires New Executive Director

Second Street Gallery is pleased to announce that Kristen Chiacchia has been named its new Executive Director, beginning September 26, 2016.

“Having been introduced to Second Street Gallery during one of my many visits to Charlottesville over the past eighteen years, I have always admired the gallery’s exhibitions and inventive outreach programs. I am excited to further the organization’s mission to enliven and inspire through the best in contemporary art. Charlottesville is a city with a rich history of culture and creativity, and I look forward to leading the gallery as we advance the arts of this amazing community,” said Chiacchia.
 
Prior to joining Second Street Gallery, Chiacchia was Director at Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art in New York, where she organized exhibitions of work by Ed Ruscha, Joan Mitchell, Hew Locke, and Erik Benson. During her more than 13 years with the gallery, she was also instrumental in securing the gallery’s participation in a number of international art fairs including Art Basel fairs in Switzerland, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong, as well as ARCO Madrid and Abu Dhabi Art. She is a participating member of ArtTable; the Apollo Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Young Collectors Council at the Guggenheim Museum in New York; and the Whitney Contemporaries at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Chiacchia received her BA in the History of Art & Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her MA in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies at Columbia University. She has also completed a Certificate in Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts at New York University.

Current SSG Director Warren Craghead will be joining the Board of Directors and will continue working closely with the staff of SSG. “I am proud of the high quality of nationally recognized work we have brought to Charlottesville, and to our community’s increasing engagement in the creative enterprise. We all look forward to welcoming Kristen, and helping her continuing to build Second Street’s presence in our area and beyond,” wrote Craghead.

“We are delighted that Kristen has accepted our offer to lead Second Street Gallery, one of our nation’s oldest contemporary nonprofit spaces and a jewel in our region and community. Her reputation in the New York contemporary art world is second only to her passion for our local art scene, which she has come to know over many years of visits to our area. Her fresh vision and professionalism will ensure that Second Street Gallery achieves new heights in the years to come, and offers a compelling voice for contemporary art and artists for all to enjoy,” wrote Second Street Gallery Board of Directors Co- Presidents Charlotte Dammann and Claire Thompson.

Established in 1973, Second Street Gallery is a nonprofit contemporary art space located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Admission is free and donations are appreciated. The Gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm. Second Street Gallery is located at 115 Second Street SE, Charlottesville, VA. For more information, please visit our website:
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