Updated: Nine Walton Arts Center board members resign in wake of NWA Pride decision

Nine members of the Walton Arts Center Council, the governing board of the Fayetteville arts center, have submitted their resignations amidst controversy over the center’s decision to deny certain types of drag performances at the venue during the upcoming NWA Pride festival.

The resigning board members, including five members of the board’s Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging committee were Casey Hamaker, Secretary/Treasurer & DEIB Committee member; Anne O’Leary-Kelly, former Board Chair, Vice Chair, & DEIB Committee Co-Chair; Jody Dilday, DEIB Committee member; Cal Rose, DEIB Committee member; and Lia Uribe, DEIB Committee Co-Chair; Mervin Jebaraj, Shabana Kauser, Elecia Smith and Shelley Simmons.

The first group announced the move in a joint statement released on Friday, May 19.

“Today, six members of the Walton Arts Center Council are resigning from the Walton Arts Center Board of Directors,” the brief statement read. “After careful consideration, we are compelled by our consciences to make this decision.”

Later that day, a seventh board member Shabana Kauser also submitted her resignation.

The resignations come in the wake of controversy over Walton Arts Center’s decision to deny some NWA Equality Pride Youth Zone activities that led the organization to move the youth zone to the Fayetteville Town Center for this year’s event.

Board Member Mervin Jebaraj elaborated on his decision to resign in a letter sent also to members of the media this afternoon.

“As an appointed representative of the City of Fayetteville and an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I cannot in good conscience remain affiliated with an institution which refuses to acknowledge the harm it has caused to members of our community,” Jebaraj said in the resignation letter.

“Without consulting the board, the CEO of the Walton Arts Center made a political decision to no longer permit age-appropriate drag performances,” he continued. “This decision by the CEO was not only misguided and insensitive, but also deeply hurtful and disrespectful to the LGBTQ community. The decision sent a clear message that the voices, lived experiences, and identities of LGBTQ individuals are not valued. The CEO failed to seek advice from either the board or staff DEI committees and undermined the organization’s commitment to its mission of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. The board was unable to fully acknowledge, apologize for, or attempt to make amends for the organization’s role in this situation.

“I believe that under the current CEO, the organization can not uphold all our stated values and mission, or meaningfully engage the board in decision-making, so I offer my resignation effective immediately,” he said.

Dilday also elaborated on her decision to resign in a statement sent to the Flyer on Friday.

“For me, I am an ally. Full stop,” she said. “It has become apparent that I am no longer in alignment with the direction the Walton Arts Center’s leadership is taking, so I was compelled to offer my resignation from both the Board and the DEIB committee.”

Officials with NWA Equality made public the arts center’s decision to deny drag elements planned in the Youth Zone at the NWA Pride festival in a press release issued last week. In the announcement, officials said the arts center informed NWA Equality that its drag performances are no longer allowed in their facilities during Northwest Arkansas Pride Weekend. 

NWA Equality said it requested to book the arts center for programming “identical to NWA Pride activities hosted at the facility in previous years.” This year, however, they were told by Peter Lane, Walton Arts Center president and chief executive officer, that the events are not permitted, according to the release.

At the time, WAC officials said the decision was made “in the interest of safety concerns for performers, patrons and staff due to the divisive political rhetoric at this time.”

Walton Arts Center on Thursday night issued a longer statement seeking to justify the decision. In the statement, the WAC stood by the decision to deny some NWA Equality Pride Youth Zone activities that led the organization to move the youth zone to the Fayetteville Town Center for this year’s event.

“Walton Arts Center regrets that our recent operational decision around hosting some NWA Equality Pride Youth Zone activities has upset and hurt many in the community, which was not our intention,” the statement began.

The statement reiterated the arts center’s concerns around safety, and planned drag performances in the youth zone. 

“When approached by NWA Equality for this year’s Pride events, we reviewed their proposed activities and logistical considerations for our spaces, as we do for all third-party events,” according to the statement. “Due to the charged nationwide political conversations around drag and minors that many times results in divisive and dangerous rhetoric, we asked if there was any way we could help NWA Pride reach its intended goals for the Youth Zone without drag performances for minors. When that was not possible, we requested that those activities be moved to another venue and offered financial support and assistance in securing another location.”

Walton Arts Center has drawn criticism over the decision since then, with some patrons speaking out about the decision online and claiming they’ve sought refunds on ticket purchases. A public protest organized by Arkansans for Social Justice is also scheduled outside the Walton Arts Center on Saturday.

Board members appointed to the Walton Arts Center Council told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette last week that the board was not asked to vote on the decision to deny drag performances in the youth zone. The board met again on Thursday, and did discuss an early draft of the statement issued last night. Some board members expressed concerns over wording of the statement, but the meeting ended due to lack of quorum before a decision could be reached, one board member told us.

The Walton Arts Center Council is made up of 23 individuals, including six members appointed by the city of Fayetteville, six appointed by the University of Arkansas, and 11 members appointed by the Walton Family Foundation.

Here’s a list of the remaining members of the board, and info on what body appointed them.

Nate Hodne – Chair – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Marti Sudduth – Vice Chair – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Megan Timberlake – Vice Chair – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Matt Trantham – Vice Chair – University of Arkansas appointee
Tony Waller – Vice Chair – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Ryan Harrington – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Laura Jacobs – University of Arkansas appointee
Diana Marshall – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Chris Nicholas – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Karen Roberts – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Elda Scott – Walton Family Foundation appointee
Justin Tennant – City of Fayetteville appointee
Scott Varady – – University of Arkansas appointee


Update: 5:30 p.m. May 23 – Shelley Simmons on Tuesday, May 23 became the ninth Walton Arts Center Council member to resign in the last week. Simmons is also the first Walton Family Foundation appointee to resign.

The decision to ask NWA Equality to host these events elsewhere when the WAC has hosted them without issue in previous years feels like the WAC is suddenly choosing to vilify both transgendered bodies and the performance of drag. Furthermore, making this decision without consulting the WAC Council demonstrates to me that the WAC leaders are willing to risk the WAC’s reputation and financialstability by making decisions that go against the WAC’s policies and procedures and without full consideration for the ramification of those decisions.

It is my sincere hope that this organization and its board will take stock of all that has happened in the last several weeks and recognize that there is much work to be done to heal the hurt that they have caused in the NWA community.

Shelley Simmons

Update: 6:30 p.m. May 22 – An eighth board member, Elecia Smith resigned May 22, according to former board member Casey Hamaker.


Update: 7:28 p.m. May 19 – Lia Uribe shared her resignation letter with the Flyer this evening. It is below.

After careful consideration and reflection, I have come to the difficult decision that my continued association with the organization is no longer aligned with my personal values and principles.

When I joined the board in 2018, I was enthusiastic about contributing to the growth and development of the Walton Arts Center and its mission. However, over the course of my tenure, I have observed a misalignment between the organization’s actions and its stated commitment to inclusion and community support. I firmly believe that an arts organization should be a beacon of diversity, equality, and empathy, and it is disheartening to witness a deviation from these essential values.

As an advocate for inclusivity and community engagement, it became increasingly evident to me that the decisions made within the organization did not adequately address the needs and concerns of our underrepresented communities.

It is crucial for the Walton Arts Center to actively foster an environment that welcomes and empowers individuals from all backgrounds, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

Unfortunately, recent actions taken by the organization regarding Pride and the LGBTQ+ community have led me to doubt its commitment to these fundamental principles.

I have found it difficult to reconcile my personal convictions and my own identities with the direction the organization has taken. I strongly believe that art has the power to unite, uplift, and inspire, and it is essential that arts organizations fulfill their potential as a catalyst for positive change within our community. Regrettably, my presence on the board no longer enables me to contribute meaningfully to this vision.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the fellow board members, staff, and volunteers of the Walton Arts Center. It has been an honor to work alongside dedicated individuals who share a passion for the arts and the betterment of our community. Although my time with the Walton Arts Center board has come to an end, I will always cherish the relationships formed during my tenure and the collective efforts we have made to advance the organization’s mission.

After careful consideration and reflection, I have come to the difficult decision that my continued association with the organization is no longer aligned with my personal values and principles.

When I joined the board in 2018, I was enthusiastic about contributing to the growth and development of the Walton Arts Center and its mission. However, over the course of my tenure, I have observed a misalignment between the organization’s actions and its stated commitment to inclusion and community support. I firmly believe that an arts organization should be a beacon of diversity, equality, and empathy, and it is disheartening to witness a deviation from these essential values.

As an advocate for inclusivity and community engagement, it became increasingly evident to me that the decisions made within the organization did not adequately address the needs and concerns of our underrepresented communities.

It is crucial for the Walton Arts Center to actively foster an environment that welcomes and empowers individuals from all backgrounds, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

Unfortunately, recent actions taken by the organization regarding Pride and the LGBTQ+ community have led me to doubt its commitment to these fundamental principles.

I have found it difficult to reconcile my personal convictions and my own identities with the direction the organization has taken. I strongly believe that art has the power to unite, uplift, and inspire, and it is essential that arts organizations fulfill their potential as a catalyst for positive change within our community. Regrettably, my presence on the board no longer enables me to contribute meaningfully to this vision.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the fellow board members, staff, and volunteers of the Walton Arts Center. It has been an honor to work alongside dedicated individuals who share a passion for the arts and the betterment of our community. Although my time with the Walton Arts Center board has come to an end, I will always cherish the relationships formed during my tenure and the collective efforts we have made to advance the organization’s mission.

While I am stepping away from the Walton Arts Center board, I will continue to champion the values of inclusion and community support in my work as an artist, educator, and advocate. I sincerely hope that the Walton Arts Center reevaluates its priorities and reaffirms its commitment to its stated vision, values, mission and principles, allowing it to regain its status as a beacon of hope and inspiration within our community.

Lia Uribe