Public Art Staff

Arlington’s Public Art Program is administered by Arlington Cultural Affairs, a Division of Arlington Economic Development. Staff are Public Art Administrator Angela A. Adams and Public Art Project Managers Thomas Vannatter and Tomora Wright.  For general inquiries, you may contact Tomora Wright at twright1@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3771.

Angela Anderson Adams, Public Art Administrator

Angela Anderson Adams has worked as a curator and arts administrator for over 30 years, half of those directing Arlington Public Art. Under her leadership Arlington Public Art has grown from being one of the first developer-sponsored programs in the country to an internationally renowned, award-winning public and privately funded program. The program contributes art and design enhancements to most major civic projects undertaken in the County. Prior to working for Arlington County, Adams served as Adjunct Curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., and Exhibitions Director/Curator for the Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA.  She holds a B.A. in Art History from the College of Wooster, Ohio, and a M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Email

Thomas Vannatter, Public Art Project Manager

Thomas Vannatter is an arts administrator, curator and maker dedicated to the impact that public art can have on communities, civic design and the built environment. With an MA in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a BFA in Sculpture from Indiana University, he has worked in the arts for over 15 years. A formative internship at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA, opened the door to his career in arts administration and sparked his drive to help provide the necessary structures to support working artists. Prior to this position with Arlington County, he served as the Public Art Manager for Northeastern University’s global campus community, based in Boston, MA and in art administrative positions at the Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN and the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, MA. Email

Tomora Wright, Public Art Project Manager

Tomora Wright is a dedicated arts manager and curator committed to advancing the contemporary art field by prioritizing intersectional representation and diversifying program and engagement strategies within art institutions. She holds a master's degree in Art Management from American University and a BA in Communications from Howard University. Before joining Arlington County Public Art, she worked as the Marketing Manager at Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center, Glen Echo Park's Visual Arts Exhibition Manager, both in Maryland, and most recently served as Fellowship Director at Hamiltonian Artists. Wright has curated exhibitions in the DC region at Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center (2018), Banneker– Douglass Museum (2020), Higgins Gallery (2020), Glen Echo Park (2019–2021), Hamiltonian Gallery (2021), The Kreeger Museum (2022), BlackRock Center for the Arts (2022-2023), and STABLE Arts (2023). Email