Verna Everitt To Lead Whidbey Art Center

Starting this month, Verna Everitt has taken over the leadership reins as the Executive Director of the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA).

Verna has a strong arts leadership background, having worked for two decades in Los Angeles as a film producer, and President of her own Production Company. She worked with stars like Sylvester Stallone, Roddy McDowall, and many others. She relocated to Vashon Island in 2007, and served as Community Outreach Director for Vashon Allied Arts (now Vashon Center for the Arts.) She further worked in the non-profit community as the Executive Director of Vashon Community Care Foundation. She holds a BS from UCLA, and an MA from Seattle University in Non-Profit Arts Leadership.

"I'm so excited to be leading one of the premier arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest," said Everitt. "Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is a dynamic hub of imagination and entertainment in our region. The creative team and the staff here at WICA have done an incredible job of bringing national quality theater, music, and so much more to Langley, and the entire surrounding area. We have exciting new plans, broadening our offerings, such a new film festival. And we're using the DjangoFest, which we've been doing for 18 years, as our model."

The DjangoFest is a week-long celebration of jazz pioneer Django Reinhart, just concluded it's week-long run in Langley, and featured dozens of musicians and groups inspired by the Gypsy- jazz guitar of Reinhart. Jazz fans from around the world have been coming to immerse themselves in this jazz-roots extravaganza for the last 18 years. "The festival is absolutely world-class," said Everitt, "and is only possible because of the tireless efforts of our incredible staff and volunteers."

WICA also features a full season of theater, ballet, music, comedy, and lecture series. Launching this year's theater season in October, WICA will present "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" an hilarious modern mix of lust and rivalry by Christopher Durang. It premiered on Broadway in 2013, and won the Tony for Best Play, as well as the Drama Desk Outstanding Play Award, and the New York Drama Critic's Circle Award for Best Play, among many others.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is a non-profit arts organization, serving Whidbey Island and the surrounding Puget Sound area.