Indigo Arts Alliance Announces Mia Bogyo as Deputy Director; Tim Dooley, Whitney Hess, Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, Michael Derek Thomas join Expanded Board

Mia Bogyo, Deputy Director of Indigo Arts Alliance. Photo by Annabelle Collette Richardson.

PORTLAND, ME, April 22, 2026 — Indigo Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Mia Bogyo as its Deputy Director and the addition of four new board members: Tim Dooley, Whitney Hess, Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, and Michael Derek Thomas. “I am honored to be joining the work of Indigo Arts Alliance in Maine’s cultural conversation and beyond as leaders in supporting and amplifying Black and Brown artists at such a pivotal moment,” Bogyo said. “This work deeply aligns with my values around mentorship and community-centered engagement—creating spaces where multicultural artists can grow, share, and build lasting connections.”

Bogyo joins Indigo Arts Alliance after six years as the Director of Education at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, where she oversaw a broad slate of arts education programs serving visitors of all ages. In 2023, Bogyo was awarded the Maine Art Education Association’s Award for Excellence in Art Advocacy.

As Deputy Director, Mia will be a driving force behind the strategic operations that allow Indigo Arts Alliance to promote opportunities and connections between Black and Brown artists. She’ll power Indigo’s three artist residency programs, and cultivate the organization’s growing alumni cohort to reach 100 by the end of the year. Bogyo will also bring her education programming experience to execute Indigo’s large-scale public events, such as the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival and Indigo Arts Alliance’s symposium series.

Tim Dooley, Whitney Hess, Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, and Michael Derek Thomas.

Beginning in May 2026, Indigo Arts Alliance will also welcome four new board members, expanding the total number from seven to nine. The new members are experienced in business, design, and cultural leadership: Tim Dooley, Partner at FoW Partners and former Vice President at Two Sigma Impact; Whitney Hess, executive coach for creative leaders across the arts, technology, and nonprofit sectors; Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, Executive Director of Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House and former Acting Under Secretary for Education at the Smithsonian Institution; and Michael Derek Thomas, Chairman and Co-Founder of ODX Studios and former Chief Strategy Officer of Galway Holdings.

“Mia and our four new board members arrive at a pivotal moment for Indigo Arts Alliance. As we grow our residency programs, deepen our alumni network, and expand our public presence, we need leaders who bring both strategic depth and genuine commitment to our mission,” shared Jordia Benjamin, Executive Director of Indigo Arts Alliance. “Mia’s decade of work in arts education and community engagement, combined with the extraordinary range of experience our new board members bring, gives me tremendous confidence in where we are headed.”

The expansion of Indigo Art Alliance’s team follows the expansion of its Mentorship Artist-in-Residence program in 2025, with the introduction of the mini-residency series, re-engaging past global artists-in-residence to reconnect with their local networks. Since 2019, its number of annual artists-in-residence has increased from eight to sixteen.

About Indigo Arts Alliance

Addressing the underrepresentation of Black and Brown artists–Maine-based and world-wide–IAA is an arts incubator in Portland, Maine that provides space for dialogue and exchange between artists of African descent and other communities of color through a multidisciplinary artist-in-residency program that embodies a Black-led approach to creativity, community-building, and mentoring. Artists come from a wealth of cultural heritages and multiple countries: African American/US, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan and Trinidad. 

The organization is rooted in two principles: that art is a key resource for healthy human communities that should be cultivated and celebrated, and that artists play a unique role in strengthening our multiracial democracy. Actively contributing to the Global Black Arts Movement, Indigo Arts Alliance brings its principles to life through collaborations with national and international galleries, museums, and other venues, featuring exhibitions and performances by its AIRs, while also curating symposia and other community engagement activities. Visit www.indigoartsalliance.me to learn more and support their work.

For images, further background, or interviews, please contact:

Katrina Stewart
Account Manager, Visual Arts
Blue Medium
T: +1-212-675-1800
katrina@bluemedium.com