Center Place names Dawn Galia executive director

BRANDON — She may be the newly appointed executive director, but her face is a familiar one at Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association in Brandon.

Center Place's board of directors named Dawn Galia, 45, leader of the nonprofit arts center last week. She replaces Darci D'Onofrio, who left the job because she wanted to be closer to her family in Wesley Chapel, the center's staff said.

The leadership transition was seamless, said Center Place marketing director Lisa Rodriguez. That's because Galia already was familiar with the operations of the center, after joining the staff three years ago as events coordinator and serving as art director for the past year and a half.

Galia, her husband Pete, and children, Zach, 24, and Diana, 21, hail from Ohio. The family moved to Brandon three years ago when her husband, then a plant manager for a printing company, took a job transfer.

Although she claims to be "more craftsy than artsy," Galia said she's excited to head the center, which offers art classes, art exhibits, theater productions and community events.

She said she's especially looking forward to the launch of Center Place's new Web site featuring an updated, color-enhanced logo, originally created by Brandon artist Sue Allen.

Center Place will unveil its new Web site, designed by board member Ian Dyer of Bayshore Solutions, at the end of February. The site will offer patrons the opportunity to register for classes, purchase tickets, donate and sponsor online.

"We wanted the Web site to be clean and neat, but more colorful and interesting as well as more user-friendly," Galia said. "With people's busy schedules, they don't always have time to drop by and purchase tickets, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to purchase tickets or sign up for classes online."

In addition to listing Center Place art classes, the site will feature slide shows of art exhibits, videos of upcoming theater productions and pages profiling each art instructor.

Center Place offers more than 800 art classes each year. With 25 classes scheduled each week, its art rooms are in constant use, Galia said.

The reception hall and exhibit areas feature monthly art shows coordinated by the Brandon League of Fine Arts, which currently has a waiting list of artists wishing to exhibit at Center Place.

The facility has long been considered the epicenter for the arts in east Hillsborough. But it may have to share that perch with the Brandon Community Advantage Center, a cultural arts center currently under construction. Planners expect the advantage center to be fully operational in early 2011.

Galia expects to partner with the advantage center, which will be located in Riverview's Winthrop Town Centre, and share resources, brainpower and board members.

"I'm sure there will be some impact when the advantage center opens," she said. "But, hopefully, it will be a positive impact. ... We plan to offer activities that don't conflict with those at the advantage center. The activities at the advantage center will be on a much larger scale. I hope Brandon is big enough for both of us."

D'Ann White can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.