The Art of Inspiration: Visionary Leaders Shaping Public Art and Place

Rhonda Dallas, LEED AP

CEO and Chief Curator, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council

Rhonda Dallas is a visionary arts administrator, public art curator and creative place-making strategist. Specializing in destination transformation, civic space and transit-oriented development, Rhonda currently lead’s Prince George’s County’s Art in Public Places program and Blue Line Corridor public art and cultural asset strategy. Rhonda’s completed public art projects have garnered national recognition and strategic alliances in both the public and private sector including WMATA, MGM National Harbor and various municipalities. She is an advocate for public art initiatives that advance cultural diversity, equity, and social impact through best practices in arts and economic development, arts and wellness and arts and environmental sustainability. Rhonda is a member of AIA, Urban Land Institute Prince George’s County Product Council, Board of Visitors for Bowie State University and Board of Directors Experience Prince George’s. Rhonda received her MFA, Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) and BBA, Howard University. She is also an adjunct professor at BSU, visual arts program.

Jason Foster is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Destination Crenshaw. In this role, Jason is responsible for the administration and operations of the nonprofit; construction of the project’s parks, open space, and infrastructure; and the organization’s finances. He also serves as the organization’s point of contact for public agencies and key community partners.

Prior to joining Destination Crenshaw, Jason served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at River LA, the organization charged with improving and revitalizing communities adjacent to the 51-mile stretch of the LA River. Jason helped to build the non-profit organization from its inception. He developed the organization’s partnerships philosophy and spearheaded programming for River LA’s strategic partnerships. Jason worked closely with community partners, corporate representatives, and residents to grow the civic pride and social responsibility surrounding the LA River.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Jason worked as a Project Manager for Impacct Brooklyn (previously Pratt Area Community Council) in Brooklyn, New York. He managed multiple multi-unit affordable housing projects through construction, including tenant relocations, construction project management, and property management services. Prior to construction management, Jason worked as a community organizer and was involved in campaign policy strategy and coordination.

Jason holds a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance from Howard University, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Beta Chapter), a founding member of Beta Chapter Alumni Association (501(c)3) and the Beta Chapter Investment Club. Jason also holds an MBA from the Metropolitan College of New York where he focused his studies on community redevelopment and small business incubation.

He currently lives in South Los Angeles with his wife and two children, who are all native to Los Angeles. Jason is proud to have grown up in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Toni Sikes has spent her career connecting artists to their best markets. She is Cofounder and CEO of CODAworx, the hub of the public art industry. Since 2014, she has led CODAworx to become the largest technology networking platform for public artists and creative teams, design professionals, and industry resources.

CODAworx is on a mission to demonstrate the power of public art to change the world. As the public art industry leader, the company connects creative professionals with commissioners, providing a platform to showcase their work, connect, and find opportunities. Powered by a database featuring thousands of projects with a collective budget of over $4 billion dollars, CODAworx leverages live events, awards programs, publications, data, and digital tools to empower public art in the experience economy.

In 2024, CODAworx launched CODAreview: The Power of Public Art, a publication detailing the size and scope of the public art industry – all for the purpose of accelerating the growth of the industry. The annual conference, CODAsummit, brings together all professionals in the industry to share information, collaborate, and conduct business.

Sikes has founded and grown three companies in the art space. In 1985, she launched The Guild Sourcebooks as a publisher of directories to connect artists with design professionals. For 24 years, these directories helped artists find greater markets for their work. In 1998, she founded Artful Home, a pioneer ecommerce company that brought the work of artists directly to consumers.

She holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Alabama and an M.S. in Market Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she gives back by serving on the UW Weinert Center for Entrepreneurs Board of Advisors.

An award-winning public arts curator and producer, Debra has more than 30 years of experience in visual and performing arts curation, commissioning and programming for civic organizations, transit hubs, and the real estate industry. Most recently, Debra created the strategic plan for a public art program at Amtrak New York Penn Station, the busiest transit hub in the western hemisphere. Currently, she curates and produces Art at Amtrak for several stations.

As the VP at the Downtown Alliance, she created the Music at Castle Clinton concerts, Dine Around Downtown, and co-founded the River to River Festival. As the Director of Times Square Arts, Debra oversaw Midnight Moment, the world’s largest digital art exhibition on electronic billboards, and the annual Valentine Heart design competition, among other projects for the over 300,000 daily visitors to Times Square. As Artistic Director at Brookfield Properties, Debra led a national arts program that planned and executed multi-disciplinary programming, presenting over 500 free events annually in New York, Denver, Los Angeles and Houston.