Meet Quinton Ward

Apr 04, 2025 | News & Events,

We are pleased to announce that Quinton Ward is our new part-time Community Engagement Manager. He succeeds Shayba Diaz Muhammad, who is leaving the St. Louis area.

Quinton will build awareness of our programs and services on social media and by making in-person connections with underserved artists and creative businesses. He’ll also build partnerships with public libraries and bi-state region cultural organizations that serve constituencies that are unaware of our mission and work.

A St. Louis native, Quinton Ward is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores where art, design, and community intertwine. His nonprofit experience includes leadership roles at Operation Food Search and MetroMarket, a mobile grocery store that travels to areas with limited access to fresh, healthy food. Quinton is a 2019 graduate of the Regional Arts Commission’s Community Arts Training Institute and was the co-creator and host of the second season of the Contemporary Art Museum’s Speak Up St. Louis podcast. He was named a 40 Under 40 by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2022 and was the recipient of a St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Young Leaders Award in 2023. He holds a BFA in graphic design from Webster University and a University of Missouri Chancellor’s certificate in civic leadership.

“Clearly, Quinton is a great fit for our organization,” said VLAA Executive Director Sue Greenberg. “I’m thrilled that he’s bringing his collaborative and service-oriented spirit to our organization.”

The community engagement manager position was created to help implement our DEIA plan, which was adopted in 2022.