Our History

Inspired by a 2012 visit to Spoleto Arts Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, ACANSA's Founder, Charlotte Gadberry approached the Mayors of Little Rock, North Little Rock and leaders of our arts communities about collaborating to make ACANSA Arts Festival a reality for Central Arkansas and they enthusiastically agreed.

 

A grass-roots movement ensued with hundreds of volunteers working together in numerous roles to bring this annual festival to Arkansas. The inaugural festival took place September 23-28, 2014. ACANSA continues to develop year after year and is working to establish Arkansas as the next great arts and culture destination in the U.S.

Our History

Inspired by a 2012 visit to Spoleto Arts Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, ACANSA's Founder, Charlotte Gadberry approached the Mayors of Little Rock, North Little Rock and leaders of our arts communities about collaborating to make ACANSA Arts Festival a reality for Central Arkansas and they enthusiastically agreed.

 

A grass-roots movement ensued with hundreds of volunteers working together in numerous roles to bring this annual festival to Arkansas. The inaugural festival took place September 23-28, 2014. ACANSA continues to develop year after year and is working to establish Arkansas as the next great arts and culture destination in the U.S.

Leadership

JOHN GAUDIN  /  President of the Board

 

Originally from St. Martinville, Louisiana, John has made Arkansas his home since 1982. Since that time he has gone on to become a pillar of the community and devotes most of his energy to developing Argenta into one of the nation's fastest growing art communities. In 1990 John founded his holistic wealth advisory business (now called Argenta Wealth Management) and continues to advise clients on a wide range of financial matters. In the 1990s he developed a passion for painting, which led him to become involved in the non-profit art world, and volunteer on a range of boards including the Thea Foundation and City Year. In 2010 John founded Argenta Friends of the Arts and the Argenta Arts Foundation, both of which fund art initiatives in the region. In 2012 John was nominated to represent Arkansas to the Mid-America Arts Alliance, a position he continues to hold. In addition to presiding over the ACANSA board, John also co-founded the Art Connection as part of the Arkansas Innovation Hub and is proud to bring rich Arkansas stories to the table through Potluck & Poison Ivy, another arts organization he founded in 2017.

Board of Directors

Executive Committee

 

John Gaudin, President
Andrew Hottell, Vice-President
Cinthya Harris, Secretary
Will Hogg, Treasurer

Jeremy Ables
Maria Aguilar
Kirk Bradshaw
Sherry Chesser
Meagan Davis
Kenya Eddings
Harold Evans

Charlotte Gadberry
John Gaudin
Leslie Golden
Bill Gray
Katie Hargis
Cinthya Harris
Sharon Heflin
Will Hogg

Andrew Hottell
Drew Jansen
Suzanne Mackey
Ericka McCarroll
Dennis McKelvey
Linda Newbern

Don Riggin
Henri Roca
Errin Stanger
Melissa Thoma
Hilary Trudell
Gabriel Womack

Founding Member Society

These supporters contributed to the inaugural ACANSA Arts Festival Annual Fund and are now lifelong members of the Founding Member Society.

Jan & Larry Alman
Aristotle
Arkansas Arts Council
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
Arkansas Children's Hospital
Arkansas Community Foundation
Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions
Jane & Bill Arthurs
AY Magazine
Patti Bailey
Catherine Bays
Debbie & Rob Bass
Sue & Richard Blake
Jill & Robert Bloom
Lee Bodenhamer
Melissa Bond
Chucki & Curt Bradbury
Lisa & Sam Brannum
Charlotte & Bob Brown
Linda Brown
Sherry & Lance Burchett
Brianne & Brian Bush
Bylites
Kelley Johnson
Steve Joiner
Jones Film & Video
Lou & John Joyce
Junior League of Little Rock
Joe Kolb
Mary Kumpuris
Heather Larkin
Sara & Jay Lang
Mary Lynn & John Laning
Law Offices of Peter Miller
Legacy Termite & Pest Control, Inc.
Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sandy & Aaron Lubin
Jo Luck
JoJo Lusk
Mangan Holcomb
Cathie Matthews
Brenda Mauldin
Susan May
Judy McAinsh
Pat & Jim McClelland
Maryann & Bob McKuin
Mid-America Arts Alliance

Central Arkansas Library System
Sherry Chesser
City of Little Rock
Cita Cobb
Stuart Cobb
Fran & David Cockcroft
Ellon Cockrill
Catherine & Howie Cockrill
Barbara & Lee Colwell
John & Dale Cook
James B. Conner
Cranford Robinson Woods, Inc.
Catherine & Kevin Crass
Trudie Cromwell
Dassault/Falcon
Timothy Daters
Anita Davis
Dorothy & Fallon Davis
Irene Davis
Carolyn & Max Davis
Renay & David Dean
Delta Trust & Bank
Democrat Printing & Lithograph
Blanche & Beadle Moore
Barbara & Mal Moore
Dorothy Morris, Morris Foundation, Inc
Moses Tucker Real Estate
Anne Mourning
Don Munro
Nabholz Construction
Linda & Gordon Newbern
Jennifer & John Newbern
Carolyn Neushwanger
North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce
North Little Rock, City
Clair Norman
Walter Nunnelley
Jerry Parham
Bill & Kay Patton
Denver Peacock
Don Pfeifer
Pike Law Firm, PLLC
Christen & Kyle Pitts
Elaine Poynter
Dawn Prasifka
Cindy Pugh
Relyance Bank
Riggs Benevolent Fund

Kearney Dietz
Nancy Dickins
DOWNSTREAM Casino Resort
Susan Elder
Carol & Byron Eiseman
Entergy Corporation
Susan Farque
Joyce & James Faulkner
Karen & Jerry Fetzer
Debra Fiser
Jimmie Lou Fisher
Rick Fleetwood
Dora Jane & Greg Flesher
Lorraine & David Frazier
Mildred Franco
Gadberry Financial Group
Charlotte & Jim Gadberry
John Gaudin
Gill Ragon Owen, PA
Leslie Golden
Golden Eagle of Arkansas
Tisha Gribble
River City Print & Imaging
Mary & M. J. Robbins
Bobby Roberts
Roller Funeral Homes
Dale & Lee Ronnel
Jennifer & Steve Ronnel
Rotary Club 99 Foundation
Rose Law Firm
Warwick Sabin
Mary Ann Salmon
Wendy & Ted Saer
Sally & Walter Sedelow
Harryette Shue
Belinda Shults
Simmons First National Bank
Elizabeth & Thomas Small
Judy Snowden
Soiree’
Ray South
Caroline Stevenson
Janice & Fred Taylor
T C Print Solutions
Pat & William L. Tedford
Rhona & Bill Temple
Henry Thomas
Tipton & Hurst

Barbara Graves
Helen & Fred Harrison
Ken Harrison
Leighanne & Keith Harvey
Barbara & Howard Hawes
Julie Haught
Sharon Heflin
Lauriann Heisler
Donna Helms
Anne B. Hickman
Holiday Inn Presidential
Connie & Fritz Hollenberg
Gwen Holton Langley
Wanda Hoover
Catherine Hughes
Jan & Randal Hundley
Cary & Fred Hunt
Robert Hupp
Inretrospec
Myron Jackson
Janet Jones Company
Sue & Lynn Jenkins
Jill & Charles Johnson
Judy Johnson
Kenda Treadway
Richard Tripodi
Cynthia VanWinkle
Verizon
Irene & Gus Vratsinas
Beverly & Buddy Villines
Sharon Vogelpohl
Walter F. Laman Public Library
Betty Jo Ward
Nancy & Harlan Weber
Frank Westerman
Margaret Whillock
Ann & Richard Williams
Mary & Jim Wohlleb
Jessie Wilson
Virginia Young
Aileen & Kevin Zaffaroni