Public Art Staff

Arlington’s Public Art Program is administered by the Strategic Investment Group (SIG), a Division of Arlington Economic Development. Staff are Public Art Project Managers Thomas Vannatter and Tomora Wright.  For general inquiries, you may contact Tomora Wright at twright1@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3771.

Thomas Vannatter, Public Art Project Manager

Thomas Vannatter is an arts administrator, curator and maker dedicated to the impact that public art can have on communities, civic design and the built environment. With an MA in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a BFA in Sculpture from Indiana University, he has worked in the arts for over 15 years. A formative internship at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA, opened the door to his career in arts administration and sparked his drive to help provide the necessary structures to support working artists. Prior to this position with Arlington County, he served as the Public Art Manager for Northeastern University’s global campus community, based in Boston, MA and in art administrative positions at the Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN and the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, MA. Email

Tomora Wright Swann, Public Art Project Manager

Tomora Wright Swann is a dedicated arts manager and curator committed to advancing the contemporary art field by prioritizing intersectional representation and diversifying program and engagement strategies within art institutions. She holds a master's degree in Art Management from American University and a BA in Communications from Howard University. Before joining Arlington County Public Art, she worked as the Marketing Manager at Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center, Glen Echo Park's Visual Arts Exhibition Manager, both in Maryland, and most recently served as Fellowship Director at Hamiltonian Artists. Wright has curated exhibitions in the DC region at Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center (2018), Banneker– Douglass Museum (2020), Higgins Gallery (2020), Glen Echo Park (2019–2021), Hamiltonian Gallery (2021), The Kreeger Museum (2022), BlackRock Center for the Arts (2022-2023), and STABLE Arts (2023). Email