The Art Connection in the Capital Region (ACCR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing access to original visual art while creating meaningful opportunities for artists to donate their work to nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.
Our comprehensive donation program features direct placements and engaging in-person and virtual exhibitions, allowing participating nonprofits to select artwork that resonates with their mission and vision.
Through our initiatives, we transform lives by cultivating inspiring and supportive environments within the public areas of partnering nonprofits. We are committed to making a lasting impact within our community, enriching the experiences of the individuals receiving services and the dedicated staff and volunteers who support them.
Furthermore, ACCR invites collectors to donate artwork in support of our mission. In addition to the satisfaction of your contribution, you will receive a tax acknowledgment letter for your records.
ESTABLISHED IN 2004
2,700+
Number of original artworks available for donation
135+
Number of nonprofits exhibiting original artworks
525+
Number of participating artists
375,000+
Number of individuals impacted through placements
OUR REACH
Nonprofit Recipient
Exhibit Site
Exhibition Site
OUR STORY
ACCR is modeled after the success of the former Art Connection, an organization established in Boston in 1995 by the late Fay Chandler, an artist who had been active since the early 1970s.
Like many of her fellow artists, Fay accumulated a growing collection of artwork and believed that donating pieces to public, charitable, and educational organizations that lacked funds to purchase art was the best option.
The Art Connection linked artists and collectors with nonprofit agencies, facilitating the donation of thousands of art pieces throughout its existence. It also encouraged the development of similar art donation and placement programs across the country before closing in 2020.
To date, ACCR has partnered with over 130 community service organizations throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to fulfill our mission, making thousands of artworks available for placement. Our efforts have inspired dialogue, creativity, healing, and learning by introducing art into nonprofit community settings. We have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that art can have on the lives of residents, clients, and staff, and we take great pride in the individuals and communities we have empowered through our programming.
OUR STAFF AND BOARD
Julie Ann Cavnor / Executive Director
Julie has been the Executive Director of ACCR since her appointment in 2010. Prior to this role, she served for seven years as the Executive Director of Maryland Art Place (MAP), a respected center for contemporary art in Baltimore City. Established in 1981, MAP provides exhibition and educational opportunities for artists, curators, and arts writers at all stages of their careers. Before becoming Executive Director, Julie worked as the Assistant Director at MAP for five years. Throughout her career, she has held various positions in museums, alternative art spaces, and commercial galleries nationwide. Julie has extensive experience in program management, curation, and arts management. She holds a Master's degree in Arts Administration and Public History from The American University in Washington, D.C
Daniel P. Kelliher / Board President
Dan is the managing member of Kelliher & Salzer, LLC, a law firm with offices in Severna Park, Maryland and New Orleans, Louisiana which focuses on commercial real estate transactions. Dan has been on the board of ACCR since 2004. In addition to being on the ACCR board, Daniel also serves on the board of Community Homes Housing, Inc., a non-profit in Columbia, Maryland which owns affordable housing sites in Columbia and on the Marketing Committee of the Community Foundation of Howard County. Dan lives in Severna Park, MD with his wife, Tree, and their four children, JoJo, Karry, CJ and Abby and two dogs.
“It has been an honor to meet artists throughout the Baltimore/Washington area and to have the opportunity to enjoy their amazing work. I am excited that ACCR continues to increase the audience for this work by partnering with other arts organizations on exhibitions and by having the works permanently placed in non-profit locations which have typically been devoid of original artwork. Art is an essential element of a successful community, and ACCR, through its connections with artists, collectors, arts organizations, and non-profits, is making original art a bigger part of the lives of more people in the communities which ACCR serves.”
Ashby D. Anderson / Vice-President
Ashby has actively collected art for over thirty years, acquiring his first painting—a portrait by Connecticut artist William Sherman Potts—at the age of ten. Influenced by his seafaring hometown of Noank, Connecticut, and his family’s long connection to the ocean, Ashby began collecting Connecticut marine paintings and developed a broad knowledge of New England’s renowned artist colonies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His collection includes paintings by Reynolds Beal, Charles Harold Davis, Carl Lawless, Lars Thorsen, and George Albert Thompson.
Ashby has worked for several New England institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Mystic Seaport Museum, the Florence Griswold Museum, and the auction house Skinner, Inc. Ashby holds a M.A.L.S. from Dartmouth College and a BA from St. Lawrence University.
Susan Kim / Secretary
Susan is a cause-driven freelance journalist who writes and edits stories on social justice, disaster recovery, diversity, and inclusion for the World Council of Churches, Mennonite Disaster Service, and The Business Monthly newspaper. She believes every person deserves to experience—and be transformed by—original art. Art is not just for display in the living rooms of the rich or for exhibition in galleries for the privileged.
"Art is for everyone—for every human being striving to live with dignity and courage in our world."
Matthew Sonne / Treasurer
Matt is Vice President of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Corporate Accounts team for the Mid-Atlantic region. Matt is the account manager and lead transaction manager for the Lockheed Martin Account, representing their international real estate requirements. He is responsible for managing and overseeing the operations of the account team, client communications, and execution and negotiation of transactions. Before joining Jones Lang LaSalle, Matt was a project manager and environmental scientist at Dames & Moore Group. Matt executed and managed environmental due diligence projects, compliance audits, and remediation projects for real estate developers, lending institutions, and corporate clients.
"What I love about ACCR is that it understands the magic and power of art. I’ve seen white bare walls transformed into incredible murals for all to see and brighten up a day. I’ve seen non-profit recipients’ joyful reactions after new art is distributed and hung on the walls and I’ve seen the satisfaction on the faces of the artists, knowing that their art is impacting people’s lives. Every time I go to an ACCR art placement, I am in amazement at both the creation of the artwork itself, but also what it can do when it is exposed in the right place."
Jacqueline "Jackie" Jones is the Dean of the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University.
A veteran newswoman, Jones has worked in various capacities in newsrooms nationwide, including The (Baltimore) Evening Sun, Detroit Free Press, New York Newsday, The Philadelphia Daily News, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The Washington Post. While at New York Newsday, she was a member of the newsroom team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for Spot News Coverage. Jackie has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and represented the NABJ on the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for more than 25 years.
An avid art collector, Jackie brings her passion for art and social justice to the Board, contributing to ACCR’s efforts to make artwork accessible and a means for enrichment in communities throughout Baltimore and Washington, DC.
“ACCR offers the opportunity for me to expand my knowledge base and satisfy my avocation as a collector while also supporting the work of nonprofit organizations. It’s a win all the way around.”
Bei Ma is the Founder and CEO of The Pinea Group, LLC, a global consulting firm for biotech, biopharma, digital health, medtech, and other healthcare organizations to deliver patient-centric innovative solutions in the U.S. and international markets. Previously, Bei was vice president of global healthcare business development at the British Standards Institution Group and international business development at the U.S. Pharmacopeia Convention.
A scientist by training, Bei has always been an artist at heart. Although she is largely self-taught, she firmly believes everyone deserves love, joy, and peace. She feels that art can achieve this goal and connect everyone meaningfully. She uses photography, painting, and digital art to express the beauty in human life and nature. Since 2020, Bei has served on the board of Rockville Economic Development Inc. and the VisArts Center, both non-profit organizations located in Rockville, Maryland.
Cindy Rivarde / Founding Member
Cindy is an artist who has exhibited across the country and has had several one-person shows. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received a B.A. in art and dramatic art in 1988 and received the Paul and Elizabeth Green Award for women in theater. She also received her M.F.A. in painting from Towson University in 2004. In her early career, she was a scenic artist at Hartford Stage, PlayMakers Theatre, Long Wharf Theater, and Baltimore Center Stage. Cindy is also a commercial real estate attorney and an economic development professional who builds communities with a strong talent for placemaking and engagement. She has overseen numerous cultural programming for cities including public art programs, cultural grants programs, presentation of musical series, film location services, as well as operation of cultural assets.
"I feel my paintings have a positive impact on the clients and staff of the non-profits that select them. Several of my large tree paintings have been installed at homeless shelters, where I hope they give a sense of rootedness and peace."
Founding Member/Emeritus