Raleigh Arts staff, along with members and alumni of the Arts Learning Community for Universal Access, attended The Kennedy Center’s 2025 Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference held from August 18 to 22 in Cleveland, Ohio. The organization partners with United Arts Wake County on this annual disability arts peer cohort program and provides scholarships for nonprofit arts and cultural staff to participate in LEAD.
For several years, Raleigh advocates for arts accessibility have participated significantly at the LEAD conferences. This year, three alumni of the Arts Learning Community for Universal Access led sessions:
“Considerations for Military, Veterans, and Acquired Disabilities,” presented by Jamie Katz Court of the North Carolina Arts Council; “A Sensory Journey Through Art: Virtual Programming for People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision,” led by Molly Hull of the North Carolina Museum of Art; and “College Students and Arts Accessibility – Building Awareness,” delivered by Dan Ellison from The Arts and Disability Project.
Molly Hull, an alumna of the Learning Community and Accessibility Coordinator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, received the 2025 LEAD Award for Emerging Leaders. According to the release, this award recognizes “arts administrators who apply what they learn at LEAD to facilitate and shape cultural arts opportunities that are inclusive of people with disabilities.” Hull is responsible for ensuring that programs, tours, and outreach initiatives at her institution are accessible to individuals of all abilities and ages.
The Arts Learning Community for Universal Access was established in 2015 as a collaboration between the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and United Arts Wake County. It aims to train administrators in best practices regarding arts accessibility. The program is recognized nationally for its inclusive design approach intended to improve organizational engagement with people with disabilities in artistic settings.
The Raleigh Arts Partner Program works closely with local nonprofit arts organizations by providing funding and resources to broaden access to diverse art experiences throughout Raleigh. The Arts Learning Community is one such initiative under this program.
Raleigh Arts serves as a central hub for public art projects, community programming, partnerships, support for nonprofits, management of exhibition spaces including Pullen and Sertoma Arts Centers, oversight of the Municipal Art Collection, and efforts to ensure all residents can access artistic opportunities both as creators and audience members.
