LAURA BALLANCE has grown a reputation for creative thinking, development and innovation within the arts community, was named Executive Director of the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning in Duluth in April 2020.
After launching her career at Atlanta College of Art and the Woodruff Arts Center almost 25 years ago, Ballance, an Atlanta native, has held various positions in arts management, arts educational programming, fundraising and development. Prior to her role at the Hudgens, she spent more than a decade with Savannah College of Art and Design, and has worked with the National Art Honor Society, the Georgia Art Education Association, and The College Board, coordinating Advanced Placement curriculum training for high school educators of Studio Art and Art History. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Georgia Art Education Association.
As Executive Director at the Hudgens Center, Ballance has cultivated partnerships with Gwinnett County, the City of Lawrenceville, and Sugarloaf CID, among others, in an effort to promote and prioritize the visual arts throughout our larger community.
Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from Georgia State University. She is an active member of multiple civic and professional organizations, serving on the Board of Directors for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County, and Sapphire Youth Development Center. Ballance, also, served on the Advisory Council for the launch of the School of the Arts (SOTA) at Central Gwinnett High School, and continues to serve on the Executive Committee for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual benefit for ALS research and patient care.
Laura is married to Peter May, Director of International Admission at Savannah College of Art and Design, and considers playing her cello and playing with her beloved Pitt/Collie rescue, Ozzie May, as the world’s greatest ways to spend free time.