Abbey Judd

Department: Arts & Culture
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-933-0741

Biography:

Abbey Judd joined MAPC in March 2022 as a Regional Arts and Culture Planner. As part of the Arts and Culture division, she brings experience as an arts administrator, consultant on arts and culture planning projects, and arts researcher.

Before joining MAPC, Abbey earned dual masters’ degrees in Community and Regional Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin in the School of Architecture and LBJ School of Public Affairs. She also completed a portfolio in Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship and was awarded the Peter O. Coltman Book Prize in Architecture and Planning.

During graduate school, Abbey served as a program associate with Civic Arts – an Austin-based arts and culture planning organization. In this role, Abbey facilitated partnerships between faith communities and artists to share space through the Austin Arts in Sacred Places program, assisted arts-based engagement to inform public art projects along transportation corridors, and supported multiple cultural arts master plans. Most recently, Abbey served as a research associate at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, assisting with a study surrounding audience-building efforts by performing arts nonprofits.

Prior to attending graduate school, Abbey worked as the Strategic Partnerships Coordinator for an arts nonprofit presenting free concerts at a historic bandshell in Memphis, TN. She also participated in the NEA award-winning ArtsMemphis Fellowship, exploring creative placemaking and arts-based economic development. Abbey earned her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies at Rhodes College.

As both a researcher and a professional, Abbey has examined the role of music in urban development while working within the Austin and Memphis music industries. Abbey is particularly interested in the intersection of music-based creative placemaking/keeping efforts, housing policy, and equity.

Areas of Expertise:
Creative placemaking and placekeeping
Arts and cultural planning
Music cities policy
Qualitative research
Community partnerships
Arts-based public engagement