A New Chapter For the Village

East Village Arts was born from vision, experimentation, and a commitment to creative freedom. At the center of that vision is LaDonna Smith, whose leadership and artistic courage established EVA as a space where boundary-pushing work could thrive.

As Founder and outgoing President, LaDonna shaped the spirit of the Village—curating adventurous programming, championing interdisciplinary collaboration, and creating a home for artists working at the edges of convention. Her decades-long career as an internationally respected improviser and cultural innovator has given EVA both local roots and global resonance.

LaDonna now serves as Artistic Director, overseeing EVA’s performing arts programming and artistic collaborations while continuing to nurture the experimental ethos that defines the space.

EVA now enters a new phase of growth with the appointment of Dr. Leisha Hultgren as President & CEO. Dr. Hultgren is a poet, performance artist, educator, and long-time arts administrator whose work bridges art and community engagement. A former Board President of the Birmingham Art Association, she has received major arts grants and led cultural initiatives supporting artists and literary communities. Since becoming EVA’s Board President in August, she has led a successful fundraising campaign, secured two grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, stewarded the purchase of EVA’s historic building, and begun reimagining the space as a lasting center for artistic experimentation and community gathering.

As EVA’s Board President & CEO, Dr. Hultgren provides both governance leadership and operational direction—guiding strategic vision while advancing fundraising, partnerships, and organizational development to ensure EVA’s long-term sustainability.

This transition is not a departure from EVA’s founding spirit—it is an evolution. LaDonna gave EVA its first shape and sound. This next chapter widens the frame and carries it forward. The Village continues to grow—artistically, structurally, and communally—honoring both where EVA began and where it is headed next.