“CXC is an essential opportunity for so many to discover new stories and learn more about their favorite creators.”Contact: CXCFESTIVAL@gmail.com
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Names Experienced Nonprofit Leader Jay Kalagayan as Executive Director
COLUMBUS, OH, December 16, 2021 — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), a leading comics festival highlighting the best of the cartoon arts across all genres, today announced that Jay Kalagayan has been named as executive director. Kalagayan’s contract with CXC will commence this month, replacing Interim Executive Director Jerzy Drozd.
Kalagayan has more than two decades of nonprofit arts experience, most recently at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio as director of corporate and advanced giving. Prior to that, Kalagayan founded and served as executive director of Know Theater/Fringe Festival, a professional theater company. Kalagayan also creates comics. He writes and publishes MeSseD Comics with artist Dylan Speeg. He has been an exhibitor at CXC via Sol-Con in past years, and looks forward to combining his love for comics and CXC with his background in nonprofit arts management.
“Jay is the right person for CXC,” said Jeff Smith, CXC’s co-founder and artistic director. “Jay’s extensive nonprofit administrative background and love and knowledge of comics make him a perfect fit.”
“Jay has a reputation for going above and beyond for artists, partners, and vendors. His vision for how comics creators should be treated aligns perfectly with CXC’s mission” said CXC Board President Rebecca Perry Damsen.
“I am very excited to be joining the CXC team,” said Jay Kalagayan. “CXC is an essential opportunity for so many to discover new stories and learn more about their favorite creators.”
Kalagayan’s skills should help CXC strengthen current partnerships and develop new ones, and expand its international comics presence. His work with the Know Theater is especially impressive, taking it from an idea to a thriving organization with seven employees and a $600,000 budget in 12 years. His strong leadership experience will help take CXC to the next level while maintaining its commitment to foster the utmost respect for the art form and its creators.
“Part of the architecture of who we are is built on all the stories that we’ve consumed,” said Kalagayan. “Our favorite comic books, cartoon strips and graphic novels become part of our being. They are part of the foundation of who we are, how we think and how we interact with others. CXC helps us shore up our foundations with new stories from diverse creators.”
Kalagayan is a graduate of Xavier University, and is an active member of many professional nonprofit associations.
About Cartoon Crossroads ColumbusCartoon Crossroads Columbus is an annual, free, four-day celebration of comics and the cartoon arts held every fall in Columbus, Ohio. CXC provides an international showcase for the best of cartoon art in all its forms, including comics, animation, editorial cartoons, newspaper strips, and beyond, in a city that is a growing center of importance to comics and cartooning. CXC will hold its eighth festival on September 22-25, 2022. www.cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org
