Former Harrison Arts principal Daryl Ward takes over Polk Arts Alliance
Daryl Ward is used to seeing the word “arts” associated with his name.
Ward spent 14 years as an administrator at Harrison School for the Arts, the final six as principal. He then went to Southeastern University, where he took a position in the College of Arts and Media.
Ward recently began a new job as executive director of Polk Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for local arts and culture entities. He succeeds Meri Mass, who retired at the end of January after 12 years of leading the group.
Ward, 56, said the position appealed to him for a combination of reasons.
“It’s two things I'm really passionate about,” Ward said. “That's our community; I’ve been in Polk County for over 40 years. And the arts, of course, right? So that was exciting. And the fact that the hours were flexible. It was a part-time opportunity, part-time position, so that I didn't feel like I had to clock in 8 to 5 every day, so to speak. So those factors kind of came into play.”
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Polk Arts Alliance, founded in 2004, represents about 50 members, ranging from small art studios to museums and such organizations as Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales and the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
The alliance advocates for arts funding at the state level and helps local artists and entities apply for grants dispersed by the Polk County Tourist Development Council. A portion of tourism taxes collected in Polk County is set aside for arts and culture entities.
Amy Wiggins, president of the PAA board of directors, said the board received about 40 applications for the position and narrowed the candidates to four finalists.
“We’re very pleased that Daryl was just such a standout candidate, with his existing history and love for the arts community,” Wiggins said. “Daryl is also an incredible artist himself, and he has deep connections with Polk County's business community. And so, he really understands the conversation and the story about how arts and culture impact all aspects of our lives, our quality of life, our shared culture here in Polk County. So he really is a fantastic asset.”
Ward praised Mass for leaving Polk Arts Alliance in a stable position.
“I don't know that I would say that there's any changes at the forefront right now, except to say that I want to bolster the membership of the alliance,” Ward said. “I want to increase our numbers. I want to increase awareness of the value of the alliance, of having a local arts agency represent the art institutions, the cultural institutions, the individual artists. So I'm going to be doing a really big membership push because I do think there's strength in numbers.”
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Ward graduated from Mulberry High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Florida State University. He added a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Mississippi and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida.
Starting as a teacher, Ward spent 32 years with Polk County Public Schools. He served as assistant principal at Harrison for eight years before succeeding Craig Collins to become principal. Harrison is a public high school of choice that admits students through a selection process. It offers courses in 12 artistic areas, including theater, visual arts and orchestra.
Ward wrote the book and lyrics for “When You Dream: A Legacy of Giving,” a musical honoring Publix Super Markets founder George W. Jenkins. Harrison students performed the musical in 2018. He said he is at work on two more musicals.
He is also a photographer specializing in nature scenes. Ward has displayed his work at Art Crawl, an annual event in Lakeland organized by the nonprofit organization.
Ward’s wife, Julie Ward, is in her final year before retirement at Rochelle School of the Arts in Lakeland.
Daryl Ward said his background as a kid from Mulberry who holds a doctorate enables him to connect with people from disparate groups. Wiggins said Polk Arts Alliance will benefit from Ward’s “energy and vision.”
“The greatest opportunity now is in sharing the story of Polk County's arts community overall, with not only the decision-makers but also those folks who are making decisions for their personal families about what to do on a Friday night,” Wiggins said.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Arts Alliance names former principal Daryl Ward as director
