Cynthia Spencer-Hadlock

Executive Director

Cynthia (she/her) became a member and volunteer of The Arts Center soon after moving here in the 1980s. After 20+ years of sharing her pottery through galleries, art fairs, and online she has focused on connecting people through the arts as the ED of The Arts Center in 2014. She feels blessed to work with a dedicated staff and board of directors.

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Barbara Malloy

Membership

Barb, (she/her) an economics graduate from UCSD, moved to Benton County in 1995 in time to see the 75-year flood. She loves the rivers and trails. We appreciate the experience she brings from her time as Benton Community Foundation’s Operations Manager.

She appreciates this creative and generous community, enjoys volunteering, sings in a choir, loves nature hikes, and paddles rivers and lakes.

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image of person with short brown hair, glasses wearing read shirt

Carl Conner

Arts Learning Coordinator

Carl Conner (they/them/theirs) is incredibly excited to be part of the team as the Arts Learning Program Coordinator.

They combine their love for the arts with their passion for community & youth engagement. They moved to Corvallis in 2016 from Southern Oregon to pursue an education at OSU and graduated in 2020 with an Honors degree in Psychology.

Carl enjoys yoga, drawing, painting, cooking, baking, tabletop role-playing games, and spending time with their sweet dog, Almond.

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Claire Elam

Artist Accelerator Program Director

Claire (she/her) joined The Arts Center in 2017 as the Artist Accelerator director supporting professional development and community for artists through career-building workshops and meetups. Claire comes to The Arts Center with a diverse background in non-profits, startup sustainability, and a BFA from Bennington College in Painting & Ceramics.

She also enjoys backpacking and learning about behavioral sociology. Claire thinks that the view from Chip Ross Park is pretty great.

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Dawn Figueroa

ArtShop Manager

Dawn (she/her) has a BA in Visual Communications. She worked with several university museum collections over the past 18 years. She also managed small businesses selling artifacts and beads.

The Corvallis community has been a great source of inspiration for Dawn’s work as a painter. She enjoys walks with her dogs, and gathering at the table making art with her creative family. Dawn recommends a walk through Willamette Park. 

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Jen Bouton

Community Engagement Coordinator

Jen (she/her) has a B.S. in Human Development from Northwestern University and returned to The Arts Center in 2017 as a Community Engagement Coordinator. She’s a seasoned community volunteer and enjoys improving each volunteer’s experience. Jen has lived in both hemispheres where she’s milked cows, sold fancy Oregon wine, and written biographies of stuffed animals. Jen thinks Willamette Park has the best recreational opportunities for dogs and humans.

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black and white image of young woman, Curator Jennie Castle

Jennie Castle

Curator, Public Programs Manager

 Jennie has been curating for The Arts Center since 2022. She returned to the PNW after earning an MFA in photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2017 and currently lives in the historic neighborhoods of Albany, OR.

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Jenny Cogan

Arts Learning Assistant

Jenny is a self-taught oil painter and ceramic artist. She has a great passion for creativity and fine art and loves seeing how it can unite a community. The Art Center has been a place of inspiration and connection to other artists for Jenny in the last three years, and she is so excited to contribute to what makes The Art Center so wonderful.

Aside from painting, in her free time, Jenny loves to explore the PNW, tend to her garden, read, spend an afternoon at a coffee shop, and go to the farmer’s market and The Dark Side.

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Development Coordinator Jill Myer

Jill Myer

Development Coordinator

Jill earned her BFA from the U of Montana. She was a 2020 AAP Artist in Residence graduate and has first-hand experience of the importance of TAC’s mission to the community. She resides in Newport where she paints and wanders on the beach with her dog, Princess Roxy Rose, a hound dog with a penchant for rolling in terrible things.

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Vanessa Smith

Graphics

Vanessa (she/her) has a strong background in fine arts and graphic design and is a true asset to the organization. She enjoys spending time with her partner and their dog Oblio, as well as learning to play the violin.

Vanessa has been involved in the progression of art throughout the surrounding communities.

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For general questions call 541-754-1551 or email The Arts Center.

Interim Bookkeeping, Ext. 653.