Our Mission

Bethany Arts Community is a space and environment where all forms of art can be learned and expressed, where hope & acceptance are the norms. Nurturing the creative process, Bethany welcomes artists, from young to old, and all levels of experience, to explore and create art that the community can engage with. Bethany fosters sharing, connection, and collaboration, in an inclusive culture where people experience the power of art to improve lives and expand their perceptions and perspectives of the world.

Our Vision & Values

The Vision of Bethany Arts Community is to be a model arts community where everyone has access to the arts in a safe, accepting, and nurturing environment, where art is valued for its power to broaden perspectives and challenge assumptions, and where the artistic process results in community engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and personal growth.

Our Values

Accessibility: we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the process.

Collaboration: we work together to inspire the artistic process.

Inclusion: we celebrate diversity in all its forms.

Safety: we offer a haven where artists, audiences, and all communities feel secure and comfortable.

Respect: we are an environment of appreciation, consideration, and trust.

Courage: we encourage our communities to step outside their comfort zones.

Acceptance: we meet people where and who they are with no judgment.

Compassion: we are dedicated to being empathetic, hospitable, and sensitive in all our interactions.

Statement on Equity and Inclusion

At Bethany Arts Community, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of what we do.

Through outreach, resourcing, and intentionality, we welcome artists and community members of all races, nationalities, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds. We believe that a narrow definition of culture and experience has too often informed institutional definitions of “artistic excellence” resulting in the inequitable allocation of resources and access to a place to showcase work. We are committed to providing a platform for artists individually and collectively to innovate, create and share their work.

We strive to create an atmosphere where artists and audiences of different backgrounds and disciplines feel safe and have the freedom to create and experience art even if challenged or stretched by others’ perspectives and artistic expressions.

We are creating a community where all forms of art are accessible by our community at large and where we strive to lower the barriers of access to artists at the top of their field.

We recognize that fully achieving these goals takes ongoing work.

David Lyons, Co-Founder (with Lucy Lyons) and Board Member

David & Lucy Lyons co-founded Bethany Arts Community in May 2015. Mr. Lyons brings a range of practical experience which he applies in support of BAC’s purposes. For 10 years, he worked in the construction and plumbing industries. For the past 20 years, he has been actively working in a running a family real estate management company. Mr. Lyons’ appreciation for the arts began with influence from his grandfather who himself was a patron and supporter of the many disciplines of artist creation. While this brought him into direct contact with varying art forms, Mr. Lyons has only begun to explore his artistic potential. Being an active supporter and consumer of art as a result, Mr. Lyons’ commitment to BAC is inspired by several personal observances, lack of local art programs in the local community, unavailable quality of programming for children and firsthand knowledge of the detrimental effects of not being able to explore one’s own potential in the arts. Mr. Lyons’ philanthropic activities include support of Yonkers Partners in Education, Spring Community Partners and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

Bonnie Bradley, Executive Director

Nancy Zallo, Development Director

Alexa (Lexi) Rudley, Program & Events Manager

Julia Schonberg, Community Engagement & Outreach Manager

Jessica Irons, Board Member and President

Paul Wallace, Board Member and Vice President

Laurie Vander Hart, Board Member and Treasurer

Kimball Lyons Gell, Board Member and Secretary

Brenda Montanile, Board Member

Dana Teague, Board Member 

Joyce Sharrock Cole, Board Member

Monica Robles, Board Member

View Board Member & Staff Bios