Eva Buttacavoli is the Executive Director of The Contemporary Dayton (The Co). Since 2011 she has led the organization through a rebrand and a 1.7m Capital Campaign to expand programs and move to its current home at The Dayton Arcade. Through her leadership, The Co was awarded a 2-year grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in 2022 and a National Endowment for the Arts Arts Program Grant in 2023.

Upon her arrival in Dayton, OH in 2009, she served as the founding director of FilmDayton, the city’s film commission; and the secondary schools program coordinator for Muse Machine, Dayton’s K-12 performing and visual arts education program. Previously, she served as director of exhibitions and education at The Contemporary Austin (previously the Austin Museum of Art), TX; director of education at The Perez Art Museum Miami (formerly the Miami Art Museum), FL; and as an art teacher for Miami Dade Public Schools.  She served as chair of the Florida Art Education Association and was awarded Educator of the Year for both Texas and Florida. She has served on numerous Boards and grants, city planning, and conference panels in Ohio, Texas, and Florida. She recently achieved Accredited Member certification as a Fine Art Appraiser from the International Society of Appraisers. She received her B.A. and M.S. degrees in art history and art education from Florida International University, Miami, and began her career as the curator of education at the university’s museum, the Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum.