The leader of a Los Angeles advocacy group that pushes for arts programs and education was nominated June 19 by Mayor Eric Garcetti to head up the City’s Cultural Affairs Dept.
The mayor’s appointment of Danielle Brazell, who has served as the executive director of Arts for L.A. since 2006, is subject to the approval of the Los Angeles City Council.
If confirmed, Brazell would likely start in August, leading a Cultural Affairs department that handles public arts programming for the city.
“I believe in the power of arts and culture to improve the quality of life, the economic circumstances, and the civic dialogue in our city,” Brazell said. “I’m thrilled to catalyze this vision through the Dept. of Cultural Affairs on behalf of the mayor and the residents of our great city.”
Garcetti said he chose Brazell because she “has the experience and passion to lead the department into a new era that showcases our talent, inspires our youth and supports our creative economy.”
“Arts shouldn’t be an afterthought,” he said. “They should be a core part of our city government, and Danielle is uniquely qualified to make sure arts and culture touches every Angeleno’s life.”
Brazell taught and performed at the Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, becoming its arts director in 1999. She went on to serve as the special projects director at the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, before joining Arts for L.A., expanding it from an ad hoc committee into a coalition of more than160 arts organizations.
Arts for L.A. is known for holding an annual “arts day” event at City Hall, surveying aspiring elected officials on their positions regarding culture and arts and working to promote Los Angeles’ “creative economy.”
