(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Valeria Vadala Homer, who has spent nearly 25 years with the Scottsdale Cultural Council, the last 10 as director of Scottsdale Public Art, has announced her retirement, effective Sept. 28, 2012.
“After almost a quarter of a century with the Scottsdale Cultural Council developing, nurturing and growing Scottsdale Public Art’s exemplary program, I have decided to retire in order to spend more time with my family and to explore creative pursuits,” remarked Vadala Homer. “We have achieved great milestones and set an enviable standard for quality and the future direction for public art programs across the country. 
As with all public art programs, we have had challenges, but our focus has always been to position Scottsdale Public Art to be one of the strongest in the nation, an outcome I am proud of.”
Scottsdale Cultural Council President Mike Miller said that the organization will conduct a “comprehensive search to find the right person to build upon the legacy of excellence established by Valerie over the past decade.”
He added, “To ensure a smooth transition, we’re very pleased that Dick Hayslip, a Scottsdale Cultural Council trustee and former associate general manager at Salt River Project, has agreed to serve as interim director of Scottsdale Public Art.”
Hayslip will step down from the Scottsdale Cultural Council board of trustees before assuming responsibilities as interim director and will work closely with newly appointed Scottsdale Public Art Associate Director Donna Isaac.
“During Valerie’s tenure, Scottsdale Public Art has become a national model of best practices and excellence,” Miller said. “Through a creative, strategic and collaborative public art process second to none in the nation, Valerie has directed development of a public art collection today valued at $15 million that is, without question, one of the finest in the United States.”
Vadala Homer began with the Scottsdale Cultural Council in 1989. Her tenure has included responsibility as the interim director of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) in 2001, the same year she was named director of Scottsdale Public Art.
Since 1985, Scottsdale Public Art has commissioned more than 250 permanent and temporary works of art that have been installed throughout the community.
Scottsdale Public Art, SMoCA and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are managed on behalf of the City of Scottsdale by the nonprofit Scottsdale Cultural Council.
