The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro is thrilled to announce Clifford and Martha Thompson as co-chairs of our 2026 Annual Fund. As lifelong champions of craft, community, and the creative spirit, the Thompsons bring both visionary leadership and a deeply rooted family legacy that fits this campaign perfectly.
The 2026 Annual Fund is built on a simple belief:
Creativity is not a luxury in Greensboro—it is essential to our civic infrastructure. Unrestricted annual support gives The ACGG the flexibility to respond to community needs in real time, seed bold new ideas, and sustain the behind-the-scenes leadership that connects artists, organizations, schools, neighborhoods, and businesses. This is how we continue to invest in creative capacity, build cultural infrastructure, pioneer innovative funding models like the Sustainable Business Initiative Fund, and use data to lead with equity and measurable impact.
Clifford and Martha understand that kind of long-game ecosystem building.
Clifford is a Greensboro entrepreneur and co-founder and president of Thompson, the family company that began in 2002 with handcrafted copper sinks and grew—through grit, imagination, and an obsession with design—into a nationally respected maker of luxury kitchen and bath products.
The Thompson story is one of artistry turned into enterprise: honoring traditional metalworking while innovating new forms, finishes, and materials. It’s a family business in the truest sense—built across generations, sustained by shared purpose, and headquartered right here in Greensboro.
Martha’s creative life complements that legacy. An art historian by training, she has dedicated her career to cultural promotion, curation, and community wellbeing, including her work with UNCG’s Strong Minds, Strong Communities program. Her practice is rooted in the belief that art helps people feel seen, connected, and empowered—exactly the outcome our Annual Fund seeks to expand across Greater Greensboro.
Together, Clifford and Martha embody the campaign’s promise: Where creativity builds belonging. Their leadership will help us reach our $550,000 goal by June 30, 2026, ensuring Greensboro remains a place where imagination fuels opportunity, and the arts are central to how our community grows.
Please join us in celebrating the Thompsons—and in investing alongside them in Greensboro’s creative future.
To share your support for The ACGG 2026 Annual Fund, please consider making an investment in the future of Greater Greensboro’s arts and economy with a donation here: