AMES, Iowa — The National Endowment for the Arts recently named Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, professor of practice in graphic design at Iowa State University, as one of six technical assistance coaches for the new ArtsHERE program. The pilot program— managed by South Arts in collaboration with the other five U.S. Regional Arts Organizations — is designed to expand access to arts participation across the nation. 

In her coaching role, Neuhold-Ravikumar will advise nearly 20 of the 112 nonprofit organizations selected to receive ArtsHERE grants to fund specific projects that will strengthen their capacity to sustain meaningful community engagement and increase arts participation for underserved groups and communities. From October 2024 through June 2026, she is hosting quarterly peer-learning workshops, monthly cohort sessions and one-on-one meetings with these organizations to share knowledge, build capacity and reinforce the initiative’s opportunities for cross-sector engagement. 

“I’ve had some meetings with the organizations from my cohort and the conversations have been really engaging,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said. “I’m focused on how I can support the people behind these organizations. That means digging into my network and using my career and lived experiences to help guide them. I’m excited to be a part of this work.” 

Broadly, Neuhold-Ravikumar’s focus is on reimagining the future of work by putting people at the center of an organization’s purpose and helping leaders navigate change through design, she said. In addition to teaching in the ISU Department of Graphic Design, she is a design strategist and leadership consultant with the Arc C-Suite Advisory national consulting practice.   

Neuhold-Ravikumar previously served as the Nerman Family President of the Kansas City Art Institute. Prior to joining the KCAI, she served in many leadership roles at the Smithsonian Institution in both New York City and Washington, D.C., and worked in higher education at the University of Central Oklahoma. 

Neuhold-Ravikumar received her master of fine arts in graphic design from Iowa State in 2003. She holds professional certificates in business from Harvard and Yale universities and in museum studies from Northwestern University. She has published and presented on topics such as inclusive organizational culture, creativity, advocacy, design principles, design thinking and design education. 

In 2015, Neuhold-Ravikumar was named an American Institute of Graphic Arts Fellow by the AIGA Oklahoma Chapter. She received the 2021 Design Achievement Award from the ISU College of Design. 

Contacts

Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, Professor of Practice, Department of Graphic Design, rukin@iastate.edu 
Lauren Johnson, Communications Specialist, College of Design, laujohn2@iastate.edu