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Wray Ward President and Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Appleby has been selected by the McColl Center for Art + Innovation to serve as its inaugural Innovator-in-Residence, a community-based extension of the Center’s renowned Artist In Residency program. Named twice annually, each Innovator-in-Residence will have temporary studio space and resources for concepting a program they believe has the potential to enhance Charlotte.
“This new residency values the power of creativity and innovation as the tools that push boundaries, produce results, and propel our communities forward,” said Suzanne Fetscher, president and chief executive officer of the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, a nationally acclaimed contemporary arts center in Charlotte dedicated to connecting artists with the community. “We are honored that such an accomplished thought-leader as Jennifer Appleby will help us mold the residency, and we can’t wait to see what develops as she collaborates with the fall session's extraordinary line up of artists.”
Appleby, who will continue to serve as president and chief creative officer of Wray Ward during her residency period, will use her studio time this fall to draw on the parallels of art, business and innovation to engage in an inquiry with artists and community for a project of her choosing. Committed to making Charlotte a great place to live, create, work and play, Appleby will engage with artists, Charlotte’s business community, city and county leadership, colleges and universities to ignite a movement that will help the City and the Center tell an even more powerful story about Charlotte and its innovative spirit.
“As Innovator-in-Residence at McColl Center, I will have an incredible opportunity to bring together my passions for my community and my business,” said Appleby, whose business leadership and community service have been recognized with accolades including the Queens University BusinessWoman of the Year Award, the Charlotte Business Journal’s Women in Business Achievement Award and the Charlotte Ad Club’s Silver Medal Award.
“My community project is to reignite a city initiative called Charlotte Creates, which was designed to elevate the importance of creativity and innovation in Charlotte and help make our city a more vibrant and welcoming place for young and diverse creative thinkers and doers,” Appleby said. “A vibrant community is good for all of us, from inspiring the children who are our city’s future leaders to building a rich talent pool so that businesses like Wray Ward can continue to compete in a global marketplace.”
Wray Ward is a creative marketing communications agency that provides clients with innovative solutions in advertising, public relations, video production, search and digital. Appleby joined the agency in 1993 as senior art director and in 1995 was promoted to creative director. In 2001, she was named president and chief creative officer. Her service to the Charlotte community is extensive and includes dedicating significant time, talent and agency resources to growing Charlotte as a hub for creativity and innovation.
Appleby chaired the board of directors and co-chaired the annual fund drive for the Arts & Science Council (ASC), one of the country’s largest cultural arts agencies. During Appleby’s board tenure, she helped instigate a major marketing initiative to redefine the ASC’s brand identity, launch the online cultural community events calendar CharlotteCultureGuide.com, and develop multiple fund-drive campaign themes. She also served on the marketing committee of the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, which successfully met its fundraising goal of $83 million for the development of the Levine Center for the Arts in Uptown Charlotte.
She served on the board of directors for Charlotte Center City Partners, for whom she chaired the events committee and Charlotte ArtsFest, an initiative that resurrected the family-friendly New Year’s Eve cultural celebration, First Night Charlotte. She currently serves on the board for the Charlotte Chamber as well as Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, where she led the library in a brand identity refresh and development of its “I Can” campaign, which encourages residents to imagine the possibilities available to them through the library.
Appleby has been named to Charlotte Magazine’s Most Influential People list and USAirways US Airways Charlotte USA 20, a list of the city’s most dynamic women. She also won the Women in Communications’ ACE Award, the Mint Museum of Art’s Spirit Award and ASC’s Mary B.A. Howell Award.
About Wray Ward
Wray Ward is the home of passionately creative thinkers. The creative marketing communications agency serves clients in categories from home to healthcare and automotive to energy, with a specialty in building brands that elevate the style, comfort and function of the American home. With a deep integration across service offerings, including insights, strategic brand planning, media planning and buying, advertising, digital, public relations, video production and search, Wray Ward delivers intelligent, engaging and results-driven work.
The agency’s clients include Belgard® Hardscapes, BRITAX USA, Crescent Communities, Dal-Tile Corporation, Duke Energy, Huber Engineered Woods, Glen Raven Inc. and its Sunbrella® brand, La-Z-Boy Casegoods, TUUCI®, VELUX® and WIX® Filters. wrayward.com | @wrayward