Montgomery, ALA – The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is excited to announce Elliot A. Knight as its new executive director. Knight is currently the Deputy Director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. He previously held the position of Visual Arts Program Manager and Director of the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery at ASCA in Montgomery.

Knight, an Opelika native, earned three degrees from the University of Alabama including a BA in Visual Communication, an MA in American Studies, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies. 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 is a Blackburn Institute Fellow. He co-founded and developed the nationally recognized Black Belt 100 Lenses Program, a participatory photography and arts program that worked with high school students in twelve Alabama Black Belt counties from 2007-2012. Knight developed and taught several courses at the University of Alabama in the Department of Art History, the Honors College, and the Department of American Studies. He also served as Director of the Arts Living Learning Community at the University of Alabama.

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.

Joel Daves IV, Chair of the Council stated, "After an exhaustive nationwide search, the Council is delighted that Elliot 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. He will lead the agency with confidence while maintaining its mission and continuity of leadership."

The Council 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. Joel Daves IV of Mobile serves as the Council Chairman.