The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) The NCTA is the nation’s oldest multicultural arts presenting organization. For over eight decades, through festivals, tours, symposia, exhibits, and media productions, the NCTA has showcased the very best of the myriad grassroots folk, tribal and ethnic cultures that comprise our diverse nation.
After an accomplished five-year tenure as Executive Director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), Lora Bottinelli has decided to pursue new professional opportunities in the arts and community engagement. George Holt, chairman of the NCTA board offered this praise: “Lora brought exceptional leadership skills to the organization. She adeptly navigated the organization through the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic while sustaining and building staff, and returning NCTA-produced festivals to pre-pandemic levels of success. Last year’s Richmond Folk Festival saw record-breaking attendance. Among her other achievements, she secured major funding to present honored traditional artists—recipients of the National Heritage Fellowship—in National Parks throughout the country. We’re grateful for Lora’s service to both NCTA and to the field of folk arts, and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”
NCTA has begun a search for its next executive director and will accept applications through September 30. Should a new executive director not be named by the time of Lora’s departure, longtime Associate Director Blaine Waide will serve in this capacity on an interim basis.
