Arts Council of the Valley names theater managing director

Arts Council of the Valley has selected J.P. Gulla as its new managing director for Court Square Theater.

Gulla will join ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden in preparing the facility, equipment, staff, and programming to reopen the theater, shuttered since July 1, 2020.

“We are thrilled after a competitive search to welcome someone with J.P.’s theater credentials into this position,” ACV Board President Louise Hostetter said. “Plus, he understands the organization and is familiar with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham community and with Court Square Theater.”

Gulla earned a bachelor of arts in theater (acting/directing) from DeSales University. He also holds master’s degrees in Fine Arts and Business Administration from Catholic University of America. Gulla has worked most recently as a mortgage advisor, having also served as director of sales at Massanutten Resort, and professor of acting in Columbia, MD. He is the owner of two pageantry and performance businesses.

A former member of the ACV Board of Directors, Gulla has also served in several board positions for The Valley Playhouse, and was founding member/theatre manager for the Maryland Shakespeare Festival.

Arts Council of the Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts and connecting communities in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists.

Today, ACV manages the Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $412,000 since 2001), and coordinates monthly First Fridays Downtown community gatherings. The Board of Directors recently voted to reopen Court Square Theater, shuttered since July 1, 2020.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.