Florida native and world-educated, Hope Chanel Donnelly founded 8-Count Productions in 2011 as the umbrella brand to create and consult, at the end of a decade working in professional sports entertainment, all while teaching art and coaching college dance. Hope and her husband purchased and re-envisioned the Rialto Theatre in 2013 as a mixed-purpose arts and events space.
The Rialto is now filled with wedding celebrations as featured on Southern Living, Pop Sugar, and Carats and Cake, along with an assortment of photo and video productions, dance showcases and cyphers, gallery receptions, community gatherings, and corporate events. Outside of venue management, Hope also curates multiple gallery spaces featuring local artists, volunteers for community and arts planning committees, coordinates public art installations, and consults for historic projects and creatives. She believes in taking risks, historic preservation, making events and spaces green, and community over competition.
