Staff

Chris was raised in Arlington, TX and has been associated with the Arlington Museum of Art since 2006. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History from TCU, a Master of Higher Education Administration, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership.

Chris loves sports and traveling, and spends his free time reading books and watching films about art and artists. His favorite artists include Michelangelo, Cézanne, and Picasso.

Chris Hightower

President & CEO

With over twenty years experience as an executive assistant and five years as an AMA volunteer, Edna joined the AMA team as executive assistant in 2024.

Edna's personal interests reflect her creativity, ranging from historical costuming, vintage fashion, and movies to photography, music, and Mexican food. Her favorite artists include Caravaggio, Warhol, Holbein, Vivian Maier, and the Impressionists.

Edna Kimbrell

Executive Assistant

Kendall was born and raised in Arlington, TX and has been with the Arlington Museum of Art since 2019 as the Registrar and Director of Exhibitions. Kendall has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master of Public Policy.

Most days, Kendall brings baked goods for the office and loves to talk about TV shows, music, and movies with everyone. Some of her favorite artists are Holbein, Ansel Adams, and Monet.

Kendall Quirk

Registrar and Director of Exhibitions

Shelby’s career with the Arlington Museum of Art began in 2020 when she served as an intern while attending the University of Texas at Arlington. Shelby has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in Art History.

In her free time, you can usually find Shelby reading, traveling, or line dancing. Her favorite artists are Caravaggio, Lavinia Fontana, and Kehinde Wiley.

Shelby Carson

Director of Visitor Experience

Prior to joining the AMA as Director of Education, Vititia M. Williams worked as an elementary school visual arts teacher in Arlington ISD schools for over 20 years.

She also worked several years as an AMA Summer Art Camp instructor and has actively supported the annual Youth Art Month show.

Vititia M. Williams

Director of Education

A graduate of Texas Christian University, Natalie has a BFA in Studio Art. During her time at TCU, she was very involved in numerous student leadership roles and served as an art studio assistant and gallery attendant.

In addition to painting and photography, Natalie loves music and plays the guitar and piano. She loves to travel, and Hawaii is particularly special to her. Artists who inspire her include Duane Michals and Andrew Wyeth.

Natalie Neale

Assistant Director of Exhibitions

Born in Anaheim, California and raised in Mansfield, Texas, Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts in History as well as a Master of Arts in Public History. During his time in college, he played football at the University of South Alabama and the University of Louisiana Monroe.

Jacob is an avid sports enthusiast, and spends most of his free time golfing or watching football. He joined the Arlington Museum of Art in the fall of 2024 as the Marketing and Program Coordinator.

Jacob Meeks

Marketing and Program Coordinator

Dennis has been a professional photographer since 2005. He became involved with the AMA in 2011 when the museum hosted an exhibition of his photography. Soon after, he was invited to join the Board of Directors. He showed a second collection of his works in 2019.

After serving as Vice President of the Board for several years, Dennis joined the AMA team in his current role as the Director of Facilities.

Dennis Hevia

Director of Facilities

Gary began at the museum as a volunteer then became office manager. He's responsible for keeping the Board apprised of the museum’s financial status and making sure bills are paid on time. He's also great at IT problem-solving.

Working at the museum has allowed Gary to, in his words, "experience art and exhibits that I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to see." To him, the museum is a close-knit family, making working at the museum a labor of love.

Gary Schwartz

Office Manager

Madi obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2023. In her time at UTA, she served as an intern for the Arlington Museum of Art, working on product creation for the AMA gift shop and exhibition related design projects.

In her free time, Madi enjoys making her famous deviled eggs for the AMA staff and crocheting.

Madi Curtis

Front Desk Manager

Born and raised in Arlington, Lori Ward has a Bachelors in Exercise, Sports, and Health Science from the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to joining the Arlington Museum of Art as a Front Desk Manager, Lori was an Elementary Education teacher for 23 years.

In her free time, Lori loves advocating for animal rescue organizations and hanging out with her two dogs, Brody and Papi, and her partner Michael.

Lori Ward

Front Desk Manager

Lorie was raised in Arlington, TX and has chosen it as her home. She has a Bachelors and Masters degrees of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Lorie enjoys sharing the museum's creative spaces with brides, groups, event planners, and more.

Lorie spends her free time with friends, traveling, gardening, and loving on her pup, Dixie. Her favorite artists are the French Impressionists, including Monet, Degas, and Cassatt (merci beaucoup to Mme. Phemister at Arlington High for those introductions).

Lorie White

Rental Coordinator

Eumir Aroche was born in Jonacatepec, State of Morelos, Mexico. He earned a bachelor's degree in History in 2011 and is a specialist in Aztec and Mayan culture. He holds a degree from the National School of Anthropology and History.

Eumir is bilingual and he enjoys photography and travel.

His favorite artists are Frida Kahlo, Jose Maria Velasco, Van Gogh, and the photographer, Manuel Alvarez Bravo.

Eumir Aroche-Sanchez

Special Projects Consultant

Board of Directors

Robyn Barrere – Past Chair

Old Republic Title

Jon Cowley – Treasurer

TTI, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway Company

Michael Cunningham

Ebby Halliday Realtors

August Jordan Davis

University of Texas at Arlington

Marnese Elder – Chair

Community Representative

Cami Grasher

Pilates Effect

Chris Hightower

Arlington Museum of Art

Serena Kundysek

Big Sky Minerals

Linda Magazzine

Ebby Halliday Realtors

Sam Mahrouq

MEI Group

Scott Poland

Visit Grand Prairie

Tonya Rosenberger

Larru Leathers, Inc.

Jason Shelton

Chair, City of Arlington Unity Council and University of Texas at Arlingon

Francine Speer – Secretary

Fort Worth Catholic Charities

Veronica Spencer-Austin

Catalyst Strategy Group

Jay Warren

City of Arlington

Beau Wood

GenXMed

Nick Wood

University of Texas at Arlington

At the AMA, art is our platform for doing good in the world and we love what we do.

Volunteers

Our volunteers are a valued part of our team! Every day the AMA is open, volunteers share their knowledge and enthusiasm for art and the arts community. They volunteer at our Information Desk and Gift Shop, share insights into our exhibitions with visitors, answer questions, provide membership materials, and collect comments and feedback. Volunteers also assist staff with museum special events and programs.

Interns

Our primary goal when working with interns is to inspire the next generation of museum colleagues to understand art as a means for doing good in the world. Our interns are involved in many real-world experiences at the AMA, including art preservation and cataloging, research, marketing/PR, programming, development, and guest relations.

Contact Kendall Quirk at 817-275-4600 if you are interested in sponsoring an AMA intern.

Community Partners

Created in 2007 by the Arlington City Council, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation is a public charity whose mission is to contribute to a thriving Arlington. Their thought leadership and philanthropic generosity has guided and supported our efforts to bring a number of internationally-renowned artists and exhibitions to our community, which have allowed us to create platforms for critical conversations on topics including social justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Art, education, and community engagement form the foundation of our mission, and our decades-long partnership with the Arlington Independent School District has nurtured tens of thousands of aspiring artists and art enthusiasts across generations. Our most visible partnerships are Youth Art Month and our Summer Art Camp.

During Youth Art Month, which by all accounts is the largest in the state of Texas, AMA donates 5,000 square feet of exhibition space to AISD for their month-long Youth Art Month exhibition. We also waive our admission fee so that everyone can come and enjoy the show. Our Summer Art Camp partnership with AISD, which employs several school district art educators as curriculum designers and teachers, provides opportunities for underserved children to attend camp for free.

The University of Texas at Arlington is a Tier One, comprehensive research and teaching public institution. In addition to its dedication to the advancement of knowledge and pursuit of academic excellence, UTA is recognized for its ethnically diverse student population and military veteran student services. AMA partnerships with UTA are ongoing, and include art exhibition collaborations as well as internship and practicum opportunities.

Serving more than 1.5 million people a year, Arlington Public Library holds more than 550,000 items, from books, audiobooks, eBooks, and DVDs, to digital photo collections, genealogy resources, and grant funded kits for parents and teachers. In the always expanding digital realm, we provide people with powerful online resources. AMA partnerships with the Arlington Public Library include our popular Storytime series and reading lists for each of our major exhibitions.

Founded in 1994 to address a critical need to connect health education and prevention services to marginalized populations, HELP has consistently expanded and adapted. Today, their focus is on making vitally needed care available to at-risk adolescents and adults, HIV positive individuals, ethnic and sexual minorities, and the LGBT community as a whole. Their generous philanthropic support, including the naming of our Community Gallery, helps us host a number of thought-provoking exhibitions and DEI-inspired programming.

Members

Members of the Arlington Museum of Art are the foundation of our success. By joining the AMA, they put into action their enthusiasm for our mission by supporting our art exhibitions, educational opportunities, outreach, and community programming.

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Staff

Chris Hightower

President & CEO

Edna Kimbrell

Executive Assistant

Kendall Quirk

Registrar and Director of Exhibitions

Shelby Carson

Director of Visitor Experience

Vititia M. Williams

Director of Education

Natalie Neale

Assistant Director of Exhibitions

Jacob Meeks

Marketing and Program Coordinator

Dennis Hevia

Director of Facilities

Gary Schwartz

Office Manager

Madi Curtis

Front Desk Manager

Lori Ward

Front Desk Manager

Lorie White

Rental Coordinator

Eumir Aroche-Sanchez

Special Projects Consultant

Board of Directors

At the AMA, art is our platform for doing good in the world and we love what we do.

Volunteers

Interns

Community Partners

Members

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