DeKalb County launches arts council, commits $7.8 million and names Stephanie Reigns director

DeKalb County announced the launch of the DeKalb Council for the Arts on an evening program that brought county leaders, artists and donors together to mark a new countywide arts initiative and to unveil the program’s first public-art installation.

The council will be led by Stephanie Reigns, who was introduced at the event and described by organizers as an experienced arts administrator with prior roles at the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and regional museums. County officials said the project includes a $7.8 million investment in a building to facilitate arts programming and a public-art rollout that will place artist-designed fiberglass cows in each of DeKalb County’s 12 cities, accompanied by a walking-app to connect the installations.

The new council is positioned as a unifying body to expand cultural opportunities, strengthen arts education and coordinate countywide events. "We're at the beginning of a new era for arts in DeKalb County with the launch of the DeKalb Council for the Arts," Reigns said, outlining goals to raise artist visibility, expand performances and reinforce arts education.

Commissioner Shyra Johnson, who identified herself as District 4 commissioner and the presiding officer this year, helped introduce the council and list the first appointees. The council’s inaugural membership includes Charlene Fang (District 1), Kyle Williams (District 2), Camille Gilmore (District 3), Melanie Hammet (District 4), Ron Mayo (District 5), Lauren Kefir (Super District 6), Dolores Burgess (Super District 7) and county office representatives, among others; those names were read during the program as the council was formed.

Longtime arts leaders provided historical context. Jan Selman, who led local arts organizing for decades, said the prior DAP (or DAP Council) for the Arts operated as a private 501(c)(3) and served as a pass-through for county arts funds, and that the organization secured a five-year grant from United Way to support arts-driven community work. "We are an extremely diverse county but it can be siloed," Selman said, urging broad support for the new council and its directors.

Andrew Keenan of the Kalenwald Fine Arts Center and other partners emphasized the economic and community benefits of arts investment, thanking private donors — including a named long-time supporter, Jim Miller of Ameris Bank — for help in acquiring the facility that will house programming.

DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran Johnson described the public-art plan: each city will receive a cow or bull made of fiberglass and the county will commission local artists to design the pieces; a contextual marker and a county walking-app are planned to launch in the coming month to connect and interpret the sculptures for residents and visitors. The CEO framed the installations as a way to honor the county’s agricultural history and to create a unified cultural trail.

Event organizers described a multi-pronged program of public-art installations, art camps, a film series, a jazz festival and quarterly art strolls intended to span the county and create new opportunities for artists and audiences. Reigns and other staff thanked county employees and community partners who helped produce the initiative and selection panelists who participated in a hiring process that drew more than 200 applicants for the director role.

The program closed with a short musical performance and public acknowledgments. Officials said next steps include finalizing council governance details, launching the walking-app within 30 days, and beginning installation of the first fiberglass pieces to be placed in local cities across DeKalb County.