THE EMERGING ARTS LEADERS NETWORK KICKS OFF THE SECOND YEAR OF ITS ART PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS LINK PROGRAM: AN EFFORT TO TRAIN AND SUSTAIN ART PROFESSIONALS
The Emerging Arts Leaders / Los Angeles (EAL/LA) network, which fosters the professional growth of early career arts administrators & artists to ensure forward-thinking and sustained leadership in the Los Angeles County arts community, launched the second year of the Arts Professional Advisors Link (A.P.A.L.) program this past Thursday.
A.P.A.L. was conceived and piloted by EAL/LA network members and matches Los Angeles-based emerging arts leaders with seasoned leaders to foster a reciprocal professional development experience. The idea for A.P.A.L. emerged in 2007 during a convening (in association with Americans for the Arts) for arts professionals, when the issue of mentorship was discussed and deemed essential for the advancement of future arts leaders in the Los Angeles County community. The program addresses a growing concern for sustainable leadership in arts and culture organizations, as stated in recent reports by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Young Nonprofit Professional Network.
Over the course of one year, advisors and advisees will meet at least four times on mutually agreed upon topics with an emphasis on the advisee’s areas of interest. In addition to these one-on-one meetings, there will be A.P.A.L. program events including a six-month mixer and a culminating event. The process of building relationships and idea-sharing will surely ignite new, innovative ways to approach leadership growth within the arts community. This year’s program includes the following advisors and advisees, respectively:
Leni Boorstin, Director of Community Affairs, LA Philharmonic with Marcella Dover, Marketing & Patron Services Associate, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Leonardo Bravo, Director of School Programs, Music Center with Talia Gibbs, Arts Education Coordinator, Arts for All, Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Elisa Callow, Founding Director of Armory Arts Center for the Arts and Art Consultant with Megan Powers, Development Associate, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
Constance DeVeraux, PhD, Executive Editor, Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, Northern Arizona University with Tara Scroggins, Program Coordinator, Antioch University Los Angeles Urban Sustainability MA Program
Ruth Eliel, Executive Director, Colburn Foundation with Wendy Gragg, Individual Giving Manager, A Noise Within Theatre
Lauri Firstenberg, Director/Curator, LA>
Elizabeth Gerber, Manager of School and Teacher Programs, Los Angeles County Museum of Art with Leslie Fischer, Program Director, McGroarty Arts Center
Cynthia Harnisch, Executive Director, Inner-City Arts with Liliane Ribeiro, Managing Director, Collage Dance Theatre
Paul Jan Zdunek, CEO, Pasadena Pops with Eugene Hutchins, Faculty, Theatre 360
Leslie Johnson, Director of Education and Outreach, Center Theatre Group with Kristen Engebretsen, Ed.M., Arts Education Consultant
Bert Green, Owner of Bert Green Fine Art & DTLAX Magazine and Founder of Downtown LA Art Walk with Jennifer Espinoza, Gallery & Events Coordinator, ECF Downtown Art Center Gallery
Michael Ruff, Associate Vice President for Development, Music Center with Rosa Langley, Development Associate, The Huntington Library
Mark Slavkin, Vice President for Education, Music Center with Elda Pineda, Program Manager, P.S. ARTS
Carol Stakenas, Executive Director, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) with Elysa Voshell, Gallery & Public Programs Manager | Grants Manager, Venice Arts
Jonathan Zeichner, Executive Director, A Place Called Home with Keisa Davis, Administrative & Scholarship Manager, Community Build
The 2010 A.P.A.L. program will be the second year for EAL/LA’s mentorship program that aspires to have relevance for future arts leaders. Given the success of the 2008 pilot year, consecutive cycles are scheduled to continue annually. EAL/LA wishes to thank Community Partners and The Irvine Foundation for their sponsorship and generous support.
For more information, please go to our GoogleGroups at http://groups.google.com/group/emergingartsLA-APAL?hl=en
To get more involved, join our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32226144639#/group.php?gid=2293006...
The Emerging Arts Leaders of Los Angeles (EAL/LA) network fosters the professional growth of arts administrators and cultural invigorators to ensure forward-thinking, sustained, and culturally representational leadership in the Los Angeles arts community. Recognizing the power of networking and capitalizing on its institutional freedom, the EAL/LA will explore, invent and employ decentralized models for leadership that will empower fellow emerging artists and arts management professionals to navigate through the landscape of Los Angeles’ unique arts community. Through social and professional networking opportunities, professional development, advocacy and artistic bridging, it is EAL/LA’s belief that the engagement of rich and diverse voices will ensure the health and vitality of the non-profit sector and will produce the next generation of progressive leaders.
Contacts:
Keisa Davis, (323) 649-0466, keisadavis@yahoo.com
Elysa Voshell, (267) 254-4229, elysa@elysavoshell.com
