Overview

• Her departure was announced at a Cultural Advisory Council meeting by co-chair Richard Logan and confirmed by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s spokesperson, Cassio Mendoza.
• Johnson has immediately launched a search for a new DCASE commissioner, and no interim leader has been named.
• A source close to Hedspeth said she is taking a private-sector job, though City Hall has not detailed her end date.
• Hedspeth, appointed in March 2024 as a longtime Johnson ally, faced high staff turnover, bullying allegations, and criticism from artists and council members over direction and communication.
• Her priorities included expanding artist grants, public art, and the film office, and she defended a controversial puppet exhibition condemned by many aldermen as protected expression.