TAC Staff
Erinn Gavaghan
Executive Director
Erinn has a PhD in Art History from the University of Oklahoma and began as the Executive Director of The Arts Center in July 2024. She also teaches Arts Management and Entrepreneurship in OU’s online MA program.
Before her move to Oregon, she was the director of the Norman Arts Council in Oklahoma for fourteen years. While new to living in Oregon, she has family here and has loved visiting for many years. Living in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine region is a dream come true!
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Andrea Adamson
Bookkeeping
Andrea Adamson joined TAC as a contract bookkeeper in 2023 and officially joined our ranks in 2024. Andrea’s background in corporate finance, grant administration, and non-profit accounting made her a great fit for our organization. When she’s not crunching numbers or homeschooling, Andrea enjoys nature walks, photography and British crime dramas. She recommends visiting Mary’s Peak on a clear night for a great view of the Milky Way, shooting stars and the occasional comet.
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Community Engagement Coordinator
Jen has a B.S. in Human Development from Northwestern University and returned to The Arts Center in 2017 as 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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Curator, Public Programs Manager
Jennie began curating in 2017 when she graduated with MFA in Photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She joined the The Arts Center staff in 2022, and currently lives in the historic neighborhood of Albany, OR.
A former competitive track athlete, when she’s not in the gallery, Jennie enjoys running on Corvallis’ the many local hiking trails.
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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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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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Artist Accelerator Program
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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ArtShop
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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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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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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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.