Mission

Creative Flagstaff fosters creative opportunity through arts, science & cultural engagement, activation, resources, education, and celebration.

About Creative Flagstaff

Creative Flagstaff fulfills its mission of fostering creative opportunity by responding to the interests of the regional community and bringing relevant arts, science, and cultural engagements to Flagstaff and Northern Arizona. Creative Flagstaff is the parent organization that operates Coconino Center for the Arts, which produces relevant exhibitions, vibrant performances, educational workshops, and offers myriad community resources. External engagements include ARTx Art + Ideas Experience, Flagstaff’s First Friday ArtWalk, and the annual Viola Awards celebrating excellence in the Arts in Flagstaff. Serving as the City of Flagstaff’s Lead Arts and Grants Agency, Creative Flagstaff allocates Bed, Board, and Beverage (BBB) tax revenues to non-profit organizations through Arts & Science grants as General Operating Support and Project Grants. We welcome you to be an integral part of our creative community!

Initially known as Flagstaff Cultural Partners, Flagstaff Arts Council was formed in 1997 as a partnership between the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, Northern Arizona University, Coconino Community College, Flagstaff Unified School District, and the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce to serve as a local arts agency. Upon its inception, Flagstaff Arts Council took on the operation of Coconino Center for the Arts (est.1984).

Beginning in 2002, the organization has served as the City of Flagstaff’s Lead Arts Agency and Grants Agency, allocating Bed, Board, and Beverage (BBB) tax revenues to non-profit organizations through Arts & Science grants as General Operating Support and Project Grants.

Now called Creative Flagstaff, with a mission of fostering creative opportunity, the organization continues its focus on removing barriers of access to the arts while bringing regionally relevant arts, science, and cultural engagements to Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.

The organization has been served by executive directors Cheryl Brock (2000 – 2006), John Tannous (2007 – 2018), Jonathan Stone (2019 – 2024), and Julie Comnick (2025 – present), with the support of skilled staff and direction of Board members with expertise in art, culture, science, business, and education. Building on our historic legacy while retaining evolutionary flexibility, Creative Flagstaff is positioned to remain relevant and sustainable for the long term.

Mission

Creative Flagstaff fosters creative opportunity through arts, science, and cultural engagement, activation, resources, education, and celebration.

Vision

Creative Flagstaff aims to remove barriers of access to the arts while responding to the interests of the regional community and bringing relevant arts, science and cultural engagements to Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.

Reports & Governance

Meet the Staff

Staff members are the public face of Creative Flagstaff, working collaboratively to oversee operations and administer programs. The multifaceted team reflects expertise in art, education, events, marketing, and business administration. Creative Flagstaff is an equal opportunity employer (EEO) with a commitment to enhancing the diversity of the organization including women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and veterans.

Julie Comnick

Executive Director

Julie has extensive leadership experience in the arts and higher education. With a passion for interdisciplinary collaboration, she is enthusiastic about galvanizing the arts, science and cultural sectors of Flagstaff through dynamic exhibitions and projects at Coconino Center for the Arts. Julie’s prior involvement with CCA includes her role as curator for the Arts & Science collaboration Parched: The Art of Water in the Southwest, and the solo exhibition of her own Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra. Both projects were awarded Creative Flagstaff’s Viola Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts. A practicing artist, Julie’s exhibition record includes national solo shows and international group exhibitions. Julie received an MFA in Painting from Montana State University and a BA from The Evergreen State College.

jcomnick@creativeflagstaff.org
928.779.2300 x 104

Kris Kosola

Finance & Grants Director

Kris has been a part of the Creative Flagstaff team since 2014. She is a business professional that has vast experience in business management, financials, grants management, presentations and workshops, entrepreneurship, and more. Kris’s love for the Arts includes theater production, ceramics, bellydancing, bluegrass spoon playing, and more. Kris enjoys spending time with her husband and their son either camping, hiking, Scouts, boating, gardening, and just enjoying life.

kkosola@creativeflagstaff.org
928.779.2300 x 103

Jay Gallegos

Venue & Programs Manager,
Lead Graphic Designer

Jay Gallegos joined Creative Flagstaff in 2022. Jay is a native to Flagstaff and passionate about the community’s rich cultural heritage. He returned to his hometown after having studied Media Arts and Sociology as an undergraduate at The University of Arizona and receiving an MFA in Art & Technology from the Ohio State University. His professional background is in media coordination, facilitation, and instruction; having worked as a Teaching Artist in documentary filmmaking at City High School in Tucson, Arizona, a Media Coordinator & Youth Media Workshop Facilitator for The Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Southern Arizona on behalf of The University of Arizona College of Public Health, as an Instructor of Record in the Department of Art at The Ohio State University, and as a Youth Media Workshop Facilitator for the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his current role, he was a Digital Media Specialist for Flagstaff Arts Council. A practicing multimedia artist, his work focuses primarily on digital video & motion graphics within an experimental framework. When not behind a camera or at the editing bay Jay also enjoys live music and supporting the local creative sector in all its diverse iterations.

jgallegos@creativeflagstaff.org
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Dani Commanda

Events & Education Coordinator,
Viola Awards Coordinator

Dani has been a part of the Flagstaff arts community for 15 years doing theatre with Theatrikos, Flagstaff Music Theatre, and as a co-founder of Stargazer Collaborative Theatre. She officially joined the Creative Flagstaff team in 2023 as the Viola Awards Coordinator after having been on the Viola Awards Committee the previous 3 years. When Dani is not working or doing theatre, she is spending time with her two kids, Ezra and Emerson and her husband Charlie. She is excited to be a part of the Creative Flagstaff team and to spend her days at a place that feels like home.

dcommanda@creativeflagstaff.org
928.779.2300 x 115

Urian Lee

Exhibitions Preparator
& Facilities Assistant

A sound engineer, artist and multi-instrumentalist, Urian brings a hands-on, collaborative approach to exhibitions and facilities at Creative Flagstaff. Drawing on expertise in carpentry, electrical work, and woodworking, he applies practical skills to help realize artists’ visions. Since 2022, he has supported live sound at CCA and has extensive experience in media productions. As a performing musician with the Southwest Emo band Naming Our Monsters, Urian combines creativity, technical skill, and collaborative experience to ensure every project is executed with care and attention. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, pool, video games and disc golf with his dog, Meatball.

ulee@creativeflagstaff.org
928.779.2300

Sophia Bergay

Digital Marketing
Coordinator

Coming soon

sbergay@creativeflagstaff.org
928.779.2300

Board of Directors

Creative Flagstaff Board Members bring expertise in art, culture, science, business, and education.

OFFICERS

Caleb Cordasco, President
Jamey Hasapis, Past-President
Kathleen McGeever, Vice President
Kevin Gustafson, Treasurer
Danielle Adams, Secretary

MEMBERS

Caitlin Burd
Alice Christie
Anthony Garcia
Jihan Gearon
Jaewook Lee
Alejandra Marin
Jay Mercado
David McIntire
Catherine Petersen
Becky Pratt-Sturges
Stan Sutherland
Audra Travelbee
Susan Walter

Employment & Internships

Explore open career, internship & volunteer opportunities with Creative Flagstaff & share your passion with our dedicated team.

Creative Flagstaff is an equal opportunity employer (EEO). Committed to enhancing the diversity of the organization, we welcome applications from women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and veterans. We encourage you to apply if you are excited about a role and believe your transferable skills or unique background would be a great asset, even if you don’t meet every qualification.

Creative Flagstaff is a creative and collaborative work environment, located at Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Current Employment & Internship Opportunities

There are no current employment openings.

Explore open career, internship & volunteer opportunities with Creative Flagstaff & share your passion with our dedicated team.

Volunteer

Dedicated volunteers are integral to our Creative Community, generously offering time and expertise to expand the reach of Art, Science & Cultural programs. If you’re interested in being involved, please share your interests and we’ll be in touch with opportunities that match.

NPA Advanced Jazz performs at Heritage Square during ArtWalk