Ron Thompson

I care about building places where the arts and community are inseparable. That belief has shaped my entire career and guides the work I do in Duncanville today.

For more than 25 years, I have worked across public policy, philanthropy, and the arts. My focus has always been on creating systems that help culture take root and last. I have seen how artists change the dynamic when they are included in decisions that shape a city. They bring new tools, new language, and new ways of imagining what is possible. But too often, they are still left out.

That is why I founded Duncanville Arts. My goal is to embed arts, culture, and a creative economy into the way this city defines itself. Through the Foundation, we support public programming, incubate new arts organizations, and align funding strategies that keep the arts visible, viable, and part of daily life.

This work began during my time as founding chair of the Duncanville Arts Commission. From 2021 to 2025, I helped lead the Commission from concept to full operation as the largest in the city. We introduced Duncanville’s first municipal arts policies, launched the Duncanville Arts Fund, and secured the designation of Armstrong Park as a cultural district. These were not symbolic wins. They were structural changes that show how the arts can shape how a city sees itself and how it grows.

This is my hometown. I care about the stories we tell and the spaces we make for them.