Kristen Chiacchia, Executive Director & Chief Curator
Kristen Chiacchia (she/her) joined Second Street Gallery as Executive Director in September 2016. Since taking on the additional role of Second Street Gallery’s Chief Curator in 2017, she has curated over 36 single artist exhibitions, 20 group shows, and has published 8 exhibition catalogues while also creating new programs and forging new partnerships for the gallery. As a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia and mentor to a number of UVA students, she has shared her experience with those aspiring to a career in the arts. Since relocating to Charlottesville, VA in September of 2016, Chiacchia has assumed an active role as a leader in the city's art community, while maintaining her connections to the art world in New York City and beyond.
Prior to joining Second Street Gallery, Chiacchia held the position of Director at Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art in New York, where she organized exhibitions of work by Ed Ruscha, Joan Mitchell, Hew Locke, Andres Serrano, and Farideh Lashai. During her more than 13 years with ETNFA, she was instrumental in securing the gallery’s participation in a number of international art fairs including Art Basel fairs in Switzerland, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong, as well as ARCO Madrid and Abu Dhabi Art. As a New York City resident, she was a participating member of the Neue Galerie; the Apollo Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Young Collectors Council at the Guggenheim Museum; and the Whitney Contemporaries at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Ms. Chiacchia received her BA in the History of Art & Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her MA in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies at Columbia University. Additionally, she completed a Certificate in Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts at New York University.
Stephen Haske, Outreach Coordinator
Stephen Haske is a Charlottesville-based drawing and collage artist. He is passionate about observational drawing and then disassembling and reassembling in order to find surprising new connections between chance happenings. Since 2005 he has been an illustrator, designer, teacher, dad, and handyman in addition to being a fine artist.
Sri Kodakalla, Gallery Associate
Sri Kodakalla (she/they) is a multimedia creative, arts organizer, and graduate student based in Charlottesville, VA. Sri received a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Virginia and is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. Sri is a passionate member of the local arts community and works in several Central Virginia arts organizations, focusing on supporting creative and equitable growth for local artists.
Madeleine Rhondeau-Rhodes, Graphic Designer & Social Media Coordinator
Madeleine Rhondeau-Rhodes (she/her) is a painter and graphic designer based in Charlottesville, VA. She received Dual Degrees in Historic Preservation and Studio Art, with a minor in Urban Studies, from the University of Mary Washington.
Elizabeth Ronayne, Gallery Coordinator
Elizabeth was raised in the small city of Martinsville, VA. Her grandfather, a professional sign
painter, was her first art teacher and sparked her interest in the creation and appreciation of
visual art. She went on to receive her B.A. in Art History and Studio Art at the University of
Virginia in 2001. Since then, she has gained diverse experience in art organizations ranging
from an intimate, privately owned museum in Pasadena, CA, to the Smithsonian American Art
Museum in Washington, DC. Elizabeth is thrilled to support the Charlottesville art community
through Second Street Gallery, but she’s also passionate about cultivating her own creative and
restorative processes. She finds joy in watercolor painting, jewelry making, holiday crafting,
gardening, baking, and just about anything that allows her to work with her hands.
Jess Walters, Gallery Assistant
Jess Walters (she/they) is an independent scholar, disability justice advocate, and emerging multimedia artist from Charlottesville, VA. As a neurodivergent Deaf-Queer person who experiences the world in pictures, Jess has a profound love for playing with words, gestures, and symbols to articulate that which they find otherwise ineffible. Since receiving a kidney transplant from a childhood friend in 2018, Jess has been creatively working to improve health literacy and healthcare accessibility. Through collage, poetry, film, photography, and mixed media, Jess utilizes artistic practices as medicinal opportunities for individual and communal reverence.
Krystyna Piccorossi, Gallery Attendant
Krystyna Piccorossi (she/her) is a fourth year student at the University of Virginia studying Art History and Spanish. She has worked in education at museums in Virginia and Washington, DC and is excited to continue her involvement with the Charlottesville arts community at Second Street Gallery.
Second Street Gallery Board of Directors
Mary Pontillo, President
Mary Pontillo currently serves as Senior Vice President and National Fine Art Practice Leader at DeWitt Stern/Risk Strategies, handling and producing Fine Art accounts, including Fine Art dealers, private collectors, museums, and artist foundations, along with the Property & Casualty policies associated with these accounts. She consults on client Fine Art exposures firm-wide. In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020, Mary was recognized as Power Broker: Fine Art category by Risk & Insurance magazine, as well as the Enterprising Achiever Award from NAIW. She also serves a member of the Appraisers Association of America’s Advisory Council.
Blake Sirach, Vice President
Blake is the Chief Product Officer of WillowTree, Inc., a leading digital strategy, design, and software development agency servicing Fortune 500/5000 clients and large government agencies, where he leads the Design and Consulting (Strategy, Research, Analytics) practices. Blake is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he studied Media Studies.
Erica Barnes, Secretary/Treasurer
Erica Barnes has over 15 years experience in Arts Administration, currently serving as Business Manager & Outreach Coordinator for the Virginia Film Festival where she manages year-round business and fiscal needs, and oversees the planning and implementation of outreach programs and special events. She is former staff of Second Street Gallery; and previously served on the Board for Student Broadcasters Inc. and as Programming Director for KRUI FM in Iowa City. She has a B.A. in Arts Management from the University of Iowa and moved to Charlottesville in 2012.
Madeleine Ray
Madeleine is a permitting project manager at AES Clean Energy, a global energy company developing renewable and innovative energy solutions. She also founded and co-leads the Charlottesville Chapter of WRISE (Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy). Prior to joining the board at Second Street Gallery, Madeleine served on the board of directors for the Charlottesville Renewable Energy Alliance. She holds a BS in environmental science from Ohio University and an MSc in corporate social responsibility from the University of York, England.
Charlotte Dammann, CCCA Representative
Charlotte Dammann is a real estate professional and Charlottesville native. Dammann serves on several committees for the Piedmont Environment Council, as a board member and former chair of the Emily Couric Leadership Forum, and as board member of the Emily Couric Cancer Center at the University of Virginia. She previously served a seven-year term on the Board of Directors of Children, Youth, and Family Services.
Andrew Greeley
Andrew Greeley is an Account & Print Production Manager at Journey Group, an independent design company in Charlottesville, VA. He manages the company’s major account, and also works with printers around the country to create beautiful print products and collectibles. In addition, Andrew co-owns The Monticello Wine Company, a historic local wine label. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, Andrew is originally from Rhode Island.
Katherine Knox
Katherine Knox is Associate Director of Philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy Virginia. She began her professional career in the arts, working at an auction house in New Orleans and a New York arts advisory firm. Katherine holds a BA and an MA in art history from the University of Virginia and Tulane University with a focus on American Modernism. Katherine is originally from New Orleans and returned to Charlottesville in 2016.
Benita Mayo
Benita Mayo is a native of Virginia and graduate of the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, she began her career with State Farm Insurance. She is active in the community as a yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor and photographer with a studio at the McGuffey Art Center. Benita was the recipient of the 2021 UVA Equity Center Fellow-in-Residence and she volunteers with local art and wellness organizations and non-profits focused on advocacy, equity, accessibility and trauma-sensitivity.
Susan Northington
Susan Northington, a native of Georgia and graduate of Brenau University, moved to Charlottesville over 25 years ago. While in Georgia, Susan was involved with the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Historical Society, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Susan has maintained an active studio at McGuffey Art Center for the past 10 years as an abstract painter and has worked in numerous private and public collections. Susan is also a certified educator with an endorsement in gifted education working as an elementary school teacher with the Charlottesville City Schools.
Andrea Ruedy Trimble
Andrea Ruedy Trimble is Sustainability Director at the University of Virginia and a visual artist who explores connections between our natural and built environments. As a co-founder of Draw Charlottesville, she develops and partners on opportunities for place-based, art-focused community engagement and education. Andrea holds degrees in architecture and historic preservation from Virginia Tech and Columbia University.