DAMI leadership transition ANNOUNCEMENT
Thank you Shawna and welcome Adrian!
Dear friends, partners, and neighbors of Downtown Albuquerque,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Downtown ABQ Mainstreet Initiative and Arts & Culture District (DAMI), we thank Shawna Brown for two years of serving as Executive Director of DAMI. Across 2025 and 2026, the District produced flagship events and programs including the Downtown Growers’ Market, Artwalk, and the ABQ Fermentation & Fungi Festival, paid over 145 local artists and culture bearers, supported over 300 micro-businesses, provided technical support to over 50 brick and motors, and welcomed over 90,000 visitors downtown annually. These numbers represent neighbors, makers, and business owners who chose downtown, and partners who helped make that choice easier.
This work reflects the leadership of Shawna Brown, who served as Executive Director over these two years. Under Shawna, the District maintained its accreditation with Main Street America and New Mexico MainStreet, held its state recognition as an Arts & Cultural District, and grew downtown’s creative economy through lasting community partnerships. The board has reviewed the results and financials in this report closely, and we are proud to stand behind them.
This fall, Shawna initiated a leadership transition in partnership with the board. At her recommendation, the board approved Adrian N. Carver as our next Executive Director. Adrian brings more than two decades of experience in community development, public policy, and nonprofit leadership in New Mexico. We are confident in the experience and vision he brings to the next chapter of this work.
To Shawna: thank you for your service, your care for this community, and the strong foundation you leave behind. To everyone who makes downtown what it is: we look forward to building what comes next with you.
With gratitude,
Julia Youngs Board President, on behalf of the Board of Directors
Downtown Albuquerque Mainstreet Arts & Culture District
If you joined us at Tractor Brewing in September to welcome DAMI’s new Executive Director, Adrian N. Carver, thank you!
To everyone reading this, near and far: Downtown Albuquerque is a gem. I believe it is the city’s essential arts and cultural hub. More than 15 art spaces and 11 entertainment venues call downtown home, along with over 60 retailers, service providers, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.
When I entered the role of Executive Director of the Downtown ABQ Mainstreet Initiative and Arts & Cultural District, my team and I knew it would be a transitional chapter. I was honored to accept. Over my 5 years with the organization, I’ve served as Associate Director, Special Projects Manager, and Downtown Growers’ Market Manager, which gave me a deep understanding of the organization and its immediate needs. I also knew bigger changes were coming to downtown:
the formation of a Business Improvement District (BID), the implementation of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and a shifting climate for the arts. I wanted to prepare the organization for those changes while honoring the reason I joined in 2021: arts-based community development.
My love for this work has always been rooted in the arts, and in arts and culture as a path to economic and creative vitality. That’s why as Executive Director, I am extremely proud of the projects we launched with a grant from the New Mexico Creative Industries Division. That funding allowed us put downtown’s arts and cultural assets on full display through walking tours, physical and digital maps, social media storytelling, and an expanded ArtWalk Summer Series. With each project, we supported entrepreneurs, drove traffic to established businesses, enhanced the district’s visual character, built a positive image of downtown, and grew community involvement and partnerships along the way.
The arts have been our vehicle to economic vitality, but like many communities across the country, ours is watching city budgets tighten, and arts and culture funding is often the first line cut. At the same time, I am witnessing this pressure push funders and organizations toward new approaches exploring how to drive economic vitality through other avenues and new ways for downtown investment.
That is why I recommended Adrian N. Carver to the board as our next Executive Director. I’ve seen his work through the New Mexico MainStreet network, notably as Executive Director of the Revitalize San Pedro Partnership, and his strong background in community development, public policy, and nonprofit leadership. I am confident his experience will carry the momentum we’ve built as a Mainstreet program and Arts & Culture District into this next chapter.
While I step away to pursue a new opportunity, I do so knowing the organization is ready for what’s next. Downtown ABQ Mainstreet has a proven record, strong partnerships, and the leadership to carry it forward. I'll be watching proudly as the next chapter unfolds. Thank you all for being part of my downtown journey!
In Community,
Shawna Brown
Outgoing DAMI Executive Director
Adrian letter.
Quotes of support from our accreditation survey.