Ahava Silkey-Jones Named Executive Director

The Dallas Arts District has appointed Ahava Silkey-Jones as its new executive director, placing an experienced arts administrator and educator at the helm of the nonprofit organization responsible for advocating for and connecting one of the city’s most visible cultural neighborhoods.

Silkey-Jones joins the organization after serving as vice provost of Dallas College’s School of Creative Arts, Entertainment and Design. In that role, she led academic strategy, programming, and industry partnerships across the college’s seven campuses, working at the intersection of the arts, higher education, and workforce development.

“The Dallas Arts District is one of America’s great cultural neighborhoods, a place where creativity inspires community, strengthens the economy, and enriches everyday life,” Silkey-Jones said. “I’m honored to join this extraordinary organization at such an exciting moment.”

Her appointment arrives as the Dallas Arts District continues to define its role beyond the museums, performance halls, and architectural landmarks that give the neighborhood its identity. The district encompasses 118 acres in Downtown Dallas and includes 19 cultural organizations alongside parks, educational institutions, residences, businesses, restaurants, and churches.

While those institutions operate independently, the Dallas Arts District organization works across the neighborhood through advocacy, public programming, placemaking, and partnerships. Its current strategic vision places increased emphasis on safety, infrastructure, connectivity, and sustainable growth, as well as the experience of moving through and gathering within the district.

“We have an incredible opportunity to elevate the District’s national and global profile while creating an even more welcoming, connected, and vibrant place for everyone who lives, works, and visits here,” Silkey-Jones said.

The appointment follows the retirement of longtime executive director Lily Weiss. Former board chair Jill Magnuson served as interim executive director during the transition, helping oversee the organization’s future planning before returning to a volunteer leadership role.

“Jill’s leadership during this transition was invaluable,” said Warren Tranquada, chair of the Dallas Arts District Board of Directors and president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. “She provided stability while also helping establish a clear vision for the future.”

Silkey-Jones inherits an organization that has recently expanded partnerships and public-facing programming throughout the district. Recent initiatives included RedBall Dallas, the citywide appearance of artist Kurt Perschke’s monumental inflatable sculpture, as well as four festivals organized to bring visitors into the Dallas Arts District’s venues and public spaces during the FIFA World Cup matches held in North Texas.

The programming reflects a broader effort to treat the district as a connected civic space. For Silkey-Jones, that means building relationships across cultural institutions, education, business, and local government.

“Ahava understands that success is built through collaboration and shared purpose,” Tranquada said. “She’s spent her career bringing people together across sectors to create lasting community impact and will continue that as she builds on the remarkable momentum of the Dallas Arts District.”

Silkey-Jones brings more than 15 years of experience spanning nonprofit management, higher education, arts administration, and civic engagement. She received a 2025 Obelisk Award from the Business Council for the Arts and was named a 2025 Top Woman Leader by Women We Admire. She holds degrees from Harvard University, Roosevelt University, and DePaul University and serves on several local and national boards focused on arts, education, and community engagement.

As Downtown Dallas continues to contend with questions of development, public space, and accessibility, Silkey-Jones will be tasked with ensuring that the Arts District remains both a cultural destination and a functioning urban neighborhood.

“This organization’s role in shaping downtown’s quality of life, economic vitality, and global identity has never been more important,” Tranquada said.