RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - The non-profit Rutherford Arts Alliance, (RAA), is excited to announce the appointment of Jeff Lysyczyn as its first Executive Director. Jeff brings a wealth of experience and excitement to the Alliance from the music industry, making him uniquely qualified to take the Alliance to the next level. See previous news story here.
As a veteran of the music business, Jeff has been active for over 25 years as an artist manager, major label employee, PR and Marketing consultant, and staff songwriter. He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY, where he majored in Audio Recording and Music Theory. He co-founded Big Show Music Co. in 2007 that re-invigorated the careers of several veteran recording artists as well as launched the careers of many developing talents such as Joe Diffie, Alex Williams, Lorrie Morgan, Raul Malo, Restless Heart, Mickie James, and others. He has also been an adjunct instructor in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University and is host of the “Music Business After Dark” vlog.
Jeff brings valuable strengths to the table for RAA as a creative who has managed creatives for many years. This experience will allow him to reach many in the county who need direction in how to contribute to the arts locally. Jeff is also a visionary with a strong and professional work ethic who has many connections in Nashville and Rutherford County: “I’ve made a living and a life of advocating for and nurturing artists for as long as I can remember. I am overjoyed at the opportunity to use my gifts in service of the Rutherford Arts Alliance and more importantly, the arts community in the county I’ve called home since I was a student at MTSU… I’m excited to join you [RAA] in bringing the RAA mission forward. Art matters!”
Some of Jeff’s first responsibilities will be increasing the membership and volunteer base or RAA, grant writing, and fundraising. He has already enrolled in a grant writing workshop so that when he starts, he can hit the ground running!
Rutherford Arts Alliance has been on the move since 2018, to advocate for all aspects of the cultural community, promote Rutherford County as a cultural and heritage community and destination, communicate the social and economic impact of the arts, create opportunities for networking, collaboration, education, and define and address arts gaps. The Alliance has thus far held membership meetings throughout the county, partnered with 36 arts organizations as well as the City of Murfreesboro, MTSU, Mainstreet Murfreesboro, and Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It has received numerous grants to fund such projects as the Art Crawl, the play Party of Twelve, the Discovery Center’s Steam Festival, SoKidLit, Poetry in the Boro, and four workshops each year on various arts topics. RAA also partnered with Americans for the Arts Prosperity and Economic Study of 2022 that found arts to be a major economic driver for this community, contributing $52.4 million in 2022 to the county’s economy.
For more information on how to get involved with Rutherford Arts Alliance, contact Susan Gulley, Board of Directors, 615-714-3650, rucoartstn@gmail.com.
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