The Arts Council for Long Beach gave heartfelt thanks at their July 24 board of directors meeting to retiring executive director Joan Van Hooten.
In her eight years at the Arts Council, Van Hooten increased private donations to the organization, matching City of Long Beach arts allocations dollar-for-dollar and initiating an endowment to fund cultural grants. She strengthened Arts Council school-based arts education programs such as Passport to the Arts by aligning their content to both history and social studies that met the State of California’s visual and performing arts standards.
In March of this year the Arts Council presented its signature community-wide program, Smithsonian Week for the tenth year at 37 schools and nine public events. For the first time, Smithsonian Week featured an exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution, The Way We Worked, photographs from the Library of Congress.
When asked to name her most significant accomplishment, Van Hooten responded with the high level of professionalism of the staff she attracted and the Eye on Design Program.
“This third-grade program connects children to the Public Art Program we manage for Long Beach,” said Hooten. “It teaches kids the history of their neighborhood and about design and architectural processes. Children learn appreciation of the place where they live and how public art creates a sense of community. The students formulate concepts for a public art work to improve their neighborhood that is then fabricated by a professional artist. It has it all: arts education, community development, and the realization of creative ideas.”
Assistant Superintendent for LBUSD Elementary Schools, Jill Baker states, “From a school district perspective, clearly the legacy of Ms. Van Hooten’s leadership and specifically of the Eye on Design program, will affect our students and their communities for years to come. We, as a district, are so grateful for the enrichment this program has brought to our Third Grade students and to their communities.”
An important study Van Hooten initiated for Long Beach, in partnership with national and county funders, is an economic impact study conducted in partnership with Americans for the Arts on local nonprofit arts organizations and their audience’s impact on the City of Long Beach. American’s for the Arts is the country’s preeminent arts advocacy and research organization in Washington, D.C.
Another effort is an updated cultural plan for the City of Long Beach in partnership with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. The broad-based cultural plan will be produced in conjunction with WolfBrown consulting firm.
Those interested in applying should contact Daisy Ramirez at (562) 432-5100, x. 221. For more information, call board president Justin Hectus at (562) 436-2000 or visit www.artslb.org.
