Management Team

Christopher Barclay
Interim Executive Director

Chris Barclay is an education advocate, management professional, and working artist-photographer, with a notable public service record in Montgomery County. He served as the District 4 representative on the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education, twice as president in 2010 and 2013, and twice as vice president in 2009 and 2012. Barclay’s community leadership roles have included the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, the NAACP Parents’ Council, the Takoma Foundation Board of Directors, and the Takoma Park Department of Recreation Advisory Committee. He is a member of Leadership Montgomery’s Core Class of 2014, a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago and worked in telecommunications prior to public service.

Hector Catano
Manager, Youth Arts Movement (YAM)

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Hector Catano is a visual artist and educator with more than 20 years of experience and two master’s degrees in Art Production and Art Creation and Research from Spain. Hector has taught visual arts to different communities in Colombia and The U.S. funded mostly by the government, including children in extreme poverty, children with disabilities, homeless people, as well as college, primary, middle, and high school students. As an artist, he has been featured in more than 30 national and international group exhibitions as well as 4 solo art shows.

Julia Davenport
Digital Studio Manager

Julia Davenport is a digital artist and animator inspired by stories and fantasy. She also knits and is learning to crochet. She graduated with an Animation degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art. She was first an apprentice with the Pour Your Art Out program in summer 2014. She then became the Assistant Teaching Artist for the program’s summer sessions from 2016 to 2018. She currently works as the Digital Studio Manager to assist youth to understand and utilize digital software to best support Arts on the Block.

Clayton Evans
Deputy Director

Clayton B. Evans has dedicated most of his 25 professional years towards working with youth and families in the out-of-school-time field and is the recipient of a PASEsetter Award for exceptional youth work in New York City. Evans has taught art to students of virtually every age, from kindergarteners to retired adults. In addition to teaching the visual arts, Evans has extensive experience in not-for-profit and arts management. He was the founding director of the LeRoy Neiman Art Center in Harlem, NYC and Executive Director of Leave Out Violence-U.S. Evans received his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art (Education minor) from Lafayette College, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting from Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA). Learn more about Clayton and his art and follow him on Instagram!

Melissa Ezelle
Lead Teaching Artist, The Apprentice Program (TAP)

Melissa Ezelle has spent the past 16 years as a professional teaching artist, fundraiser and arts administrator, working with a variety of organizations and student populations. She earned her MFA from Ohio University, and her BFA from Murray State University. From 2006-2016, Melissa worked as both an arts administrator and educator for organizations supporting adults with disabilities, including the award-winning Resources for Human Development in Philadelphia, and The Arc of Prince George’s County. In addition, she has held positions in development at the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) and Studio Theater in Washington, DC. Since 2013, she has been a practicing studio artist and instructor at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center and currently teaches classes in the fine arts department at Montgomery College

Naomi Giddings
Social Media Manager & Designer

Naomi Giddings is a freelance illustrator and designer from the Washington, DC area currently living in Southern California. She graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis with a major in Communication Design and minors in Creative Writing and Art History & Archaeology. Naomi is biracial Japanese American and is interested in creating works that uplift marginalized people and tell a story. See her work at NaomiGiddings.com and @naomiahg on Instagram.

Kelly Palmer

College and Career Readiness VISTA

As an ever growing creative, Kelly Palmer has allowed her strong passion for the arts to continually inspire her life. As a graduate from Coppin State University, she attained her bachelor’s degree in Urban Arts and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership. During that time, her studies in the arts and nonprofit sector has developed her understanding of present day business tools, marketing strategies, and how to make herself knowledgeable in other industries, including technology. Working with people, whether in a classroom or administrative setting has sharpened her communication skills and ability to build a rapport with people from all walks of life.

Veronica Sloan
Grants & Executive Communications Specialist

Artist, photographer, and writer, Veronica is inspired by the social and biological sciences and collaborating at the intersections of art and science in sustainable and impactful ways. Her previous professional experience includes B2C marketing and communications for GE’s Advanced Materials division in the Netherlands and international communications for the World Wildlife Fund in the US, Panama, Vietnam, and the EU. She has a Bachelor of Art in visual communications from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and further education diplomas from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Peter Tabri
Artwork Installation Master Craftsman

Peter Tabri is a well-renowned mosaic craftsman in the Washington DC are. With over 30 years experience in tile, marble, and mosaic installation, Peter has decided to carry on the family tradition of mosaic craftsmanship that has been part of the Tabri line for well over a century. He has been recognized for his exceptional work by both the DC Commission on the Arts and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.

Julia Thompson
Communications Assistant

Julia Thompson has worked on digital art, design writing and research projects, both academically as well as professionally. As a Communications Assistant, she works on copyediting, social media and infographics to provide resources for youth to reach their creative potential. Previously, she was in the Urban Education Leadership Internship Associate Program at DC Public Schools and intern at the Family Online Safety Institute. She is currently working towards completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of Maryland.

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