Pike County arts organizations join arts organizations across the state in welcoming Dr. Elliot A. Knight as the new executive director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA).

In making the announcement Thursday, Joel Daves IV, ASCA chair, said after an exhaustive nationwide search, the Council is delighted that Knight will be the new executive director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

“Elliot is familiar with the workings of the agency and is well-known by artists and arts organizations statewide,” Daves said. “He will lead the agency with confidence while maintaining its mission and continuity of leadership.”

Knight, an Opelika native, is currently the deputy director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts

Bill Hopper, Johnson Center for the Arts director and board member of the Troy Arts Council, said Knight is familiar with Troy’s role in and commitment to the arts.

“We are confident that Dr. Knight will continue ASCA’s support of the arts on all levels and all across the state,” Hopper said. “We look forward to his leadership and to working with him.’

The Brundidge Historical Society has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with ASCA. Lawrence Bowden, BHS president, said his organization is looking forward to continuing that relationship with Knight at the helm.

“Dr. Knight will have our full support as we move the arts forward in Pike County and all Alabama,” Bowden said.

Knight has an impressive history in the arts in Alabama. He previously held the position of Visual Arts Program Manager and Director of the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery at ASCA in Montgomery.

He currently serves as a board member for the Montgomery Public Art Commission, Montgomery Art Guild, and the University of Alabama Community Affairs Board of Advisors, and has served as a member of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art Junior Executive Board.

Knight will take the helm on January 1, 2019 building on the success of the agency’s work in promoting Alabama’s diverse and rich artistic resources. ASCA has been a leader in the state arts agency field with model programs and a funding philosophy that maximizes the value of state and federal investment in the arts for the benefit of all Alabamians.

ASCA is the official state arts agency of Alabama and is based in Montgomery. The fifteen-member council is appointed by the governor and reflects statewide representation.