About Nelia Verano
Nelia Verano—Neely to colleagues and friends—fell in love with the arts at an early age. That appreciation would shape her passionate approach to work and life.
After serving in various non-profit leadership roles, including as Chief Development Officer of The Mint Museum, she co-founded LaCa Projects, a contemporary art gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina specializing in Latin American art and artists.
During her six-year tenure at the gallery, Nelia worked closely with a talented team, artists at all levels, and the broader arts community to design art exhibitions, installations, and source potential new artists. LaCa Projects grew to be one of the foremost and respected galleries in the Southeast.
She serves as a member of the board of trustees for the McColl Center for Art & Innovation, an advisory board member of the Arts Empowerment Project, and a member of the Contemporary Art Board at the Mint Museum. Nelia is also co-founder of Sphere Series, a grass-roots initiative dedicated to bringing innovators in the arts from all over the globe to engage in thoughtful and relevant discussion on how arts and reactivity can spark life-changing dialogue and promote necessary social change. She applies her love for writing as a contributing arts+culture editor for LUXE Lifestyle Magazine.
A native of a small town in the Midwest, Nelia has lived in Charlotte since 2003. Her children Luca, Leo, and Rosy, and her husband Michael, are among her life’s greatest accomplishments and joys.