Desiree Hodge Retires After 13 Years Leading Orange Beach’s Coastal Arts Center; Brianne DiChiara Named Successor
Orange Beach celebrated Coastal Arts Center Director Desiree Hodge on Oct. 30 as she retires after 13 years of leading the center, opening its current building and helping its Festival of Art win two national titles.
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — After 13 years at the helm of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach, Director Desiree Hodge has retired, leaving behind a purpose-built home for the city’s arts programs and a festival that readers across the country have twice named the best of its kind.
Friends, family, co-workers and city officials gathered at the center Friday, Oct. 30, to celebrate her career. City Administrator Ford Handley and incoming director Brianne DiChiara each spoke, thanking Hodge for her years of dedication to Orange Beach and the arts.
Hodge received gifts from her staff and from Friends of the Arts during the gathering. When it was her turn to speak, she directed the credit for the center’s accomplishments to her team.
A building and a reputation
Much of Hodge’s legacy can be seen in the building where the party was held. She oversaw the construction and opening of the center’s current facility nearly a decade ago, giving the city’s arts programs a permanent, dedicated home.
Her other major achievement is the signature event the center sponsors each spring. Readers nationwide voted the Orange Beach Festival of Art the country’s Best Art Festival for two consecutive years, in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice contest.
The festival’s scale helps explain why. Trade magazine Sunshine Artist reported that the 2025 edition, the event’s 51st, featured 85 exhibitors in a fully outdoor setting, with Hodge estimating attendance at about 15,000. The magazine’s artist reviews that year praised the organization, hospitality and quality of the show, and every artist who reviewed the previous two festivals said they would return.
Hodge explained her approach to the magazine in terms that sound much like a career summary.
“We are known for two things: an abundance of Southern hospitality for artists and a strong marketing program for a show that focuses on fine art,” she told Sunshine Artist. “We prefer quality over quantity.”
She credited that combination, and the artists who bring their work to the show, for the national award.
Growing the festival
Under Hodge, the festival continued to change. The 2025 event added a Literary Arts area and new performance art, along with a music stage and local food trucks serving coastal cuisine, and she described that year as one of its best yet. Staff also made small practical improvements, including on-site help from the city with artists’ tax payments before they left the show.
Those details matter to the artists who rely on such shows for a living. One exhibitor told the magazine that the festival is “a great small festival run by an organization and director that are extremely supportive.”
A familiar face takes over
Hodge’s successor will not need much of an introduction. Brianne DiChiara, who will take on the director role, previously served as the center’s events specialist and worked closely with Hodge for several years.
That continuity comes at a useful moment, with planning underway for the next festival.
Retired, but not gone
Hodge is not stepping away from the arts community entirely. She continues to help organize the 53rd Annual Festival of Art, scheduled for March 2027, giving DiChiara an experienced hand for her first festival as director.
Her continued involvement reflects a lasting commitment to Orange Beach and its arts programs, one that city officials and colleagues acknowledged throughout the celebration.
For residents who want to get involved or to learn more about classes, exhibits and the festival, information is available through the City of Orange Beach’s website and the Coastal Arts Center.
