Joy, with decades of experience in the arts and public policy, served most recently as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor at the National Endowment for the Arts under President Joe Biden

MILWAUKEE – Today, the Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) Board of Directors announced its new Executive Director, Ra Joy, to lead the BCA in its mission to develop an African American art museum in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville community.

“In Ra Joy we have found a creative and collaborative leader who is deeply committed to our vision and mission,” said Michael Morgan, Chair of the BCA’s Board of Directors. “With extensive experience in the public and non-profit sectors, a strong commitment to the arts, and an engaging leadership style that emphasizes partnerships and collaboration, Ra is the ideal leader for a mission-driven organization with grassroots sensibilities and global aspirations.”

Joy most recently served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the Biden-Harris Administration, where he worked at the nexus of federal arts policy, national cultural leadership, and community-centered investment. Prior to his NEA role, Joy led Arts Alliance Illinois for eight years, one of the nation’s most prominent arts advocacy and service organizations, where he built broad coalitions among artists, educators, cultural institutions, and policymakers.

“Ra is recognized as one of our nation’s leading advocates for the arts and creative expression,” said Morgan. “Over the course of his distinguished career, he has had a profound influence on the arts and arts policy at the local, state, and federal levels. At this pivotal moment, we’re thrilled that Ra will lead the future of the arts at the BCA.”

In his new role at the BCA, Joy will lead planning, design, and continued community engagement efforts for the future arts museum, which will draw visitors to Milwaukee and position Bronzeville as an internationally recognized hub for Black arts and culture. He will also oversee the continued activation of Gallery 507, the organization’s headquarters and home to exhibitions, makerspace opportunities, and artist engagement. 

“The arts are everywhere in Milwaukee,” said Joy. “You can see it in the architectural beauty of the Milwaukee Art Museum. You can hear it at SummerFest, one of the largest music festivals in the world. You can taste it in the city’s brewing traditions and diverse culinary arts scene. And you can certainly feel it in the momentum that’s building for culture and the arts in Bronzeville.”

The BCA was founded to highlight, celebrate, and empower African American art and artists and to build a welcoming, accessible cultural hub in the heart of Milwaukee’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. The BCA invites the public to explore their inherent creativity through engaging exhibitions, rich educational programs, and immersive artistic experiences that foster appreciation of Black art and artists. In recent years, the organization has reached major milestones, including the acquisition and demolition of the former DNR site on North Avenue, the future home of the new museum, and the enlistment of an all-star team of architects, including Michael Ford of BrandNu Design Studio, known as the “Hip Hop Architect,” and HGA’s Peter Cook, who was a lead design collaborator on the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“I’m thrilled that Ra Joy is leading the Bronzeville Center for the Arts,” said Deb Kern, Founding Board Member of the BCA. “This is a time of real momentum for BCA, and I know Ra shares my belief in and commitment to moving our vision forward and bringing this museum to life.”

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ABOUT THE BRONZEVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) exists to create vibrant spaces that celebrate and empower artists of African descent, nurture emerging talent, and actively engage diverse local, regional, and national audiences. Through the establishment of a major new African American art museum in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood, the BCA seeks to expand Bronzeville’s legacy as a vibrant artistic hub of the Midwest and make experiences with the art of the African diaspora accessible to everyone. Learn more a www.BCAMKE.org.