PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (August 17, 2016) -Palm Springs Art Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Leonardo Bravo as Director of Education and Public Programs. In this position Bravo will provide leadership for the museum's diverse and innovative education, community, and public programming. With an integrated approach he will lead the museum's education programs in sync with broadening definitions of how artists today are reshaping art and culture.
Bravo most recently served the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as Community Arts Manager. In that position he coordinated and oversaw the work of arts organizations in district schools and managed funding streams available for arts partners. Prior to that (2008-2015), he was Director of School Programs for the Music Center: Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, where he designed and implemented long-term partnerships for the arts for school districts throughout Los Angeles County. From 2003 to 2006, he was Director of Arts Education of P.S. ARTS, working with multiple school districts in Los Angeles County to develop K-8 curriculum in alignment with the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards. He also worked for the Getty Museum in their family, college, and school programs, and as an artist-educator coach for The Galef Institute in schools in Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, Utah, and California.
As an active advocate for quality in arts education, Bravo has served as a consultant to many leading foundations and organizations working to support innovation in the arts in California, including the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Herb Alpert Foundation, and the California Alliance for Arts Education. He has notably been invited to participate in convening with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
Bravo also founded Big City Forum, an interdisciplinary project highlighting creative practices across architecture, design, and contemporary art that is reshaping urban public space and social change; and Open Links, which guides and assists clients in organizational restructuring, strategic planning, program design, marketing strategies, fundraising and evaluation of projects. He has an MFA from University of Southern California and a BFA from Otis Institute of Art & Design in Los Angeles. He also currently serves as Board President for the Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts.
In addition to Bravo's extensive professional background, he has taught in higher education, and in K through 12 grades since 1995. His teaching positions have included instruction at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California State University Northridge, UCLA Extension Visual Arts Department, and Stephen S. Wise Temple School in Los Angeles.
"Bravo's wide range of experience with arts education in schools and community-based cultural programs makes him ideally suited to lead the museum's strategic emphasis on creating an active dialogue with local audiences as well as with visitors from around the world," said Elizabeth Armstrong, The JoAnn McGrath Executive Director for Palm Springs Art Museum. "He will be an integral member of our leadership staff and we look forward to having him manage important educational initiatives that will be woven through a cross disciplinary model that includes art, design, and architectural practices."
For more information about Palm Springs Art Museum visit psmuseum.org or call (760) 322-4800. The museum is located at 101 Museum Drive in Palm Springs.
About Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Art Museum is the largest cultural institution in the Coachella Valley and includes three locations in Palm Springs and Palm Desert. The flagship building is located in downtown Palm Springs and features compelling art exhibitions, a vast permanent collection, and the 428-seat Annenberg Theater, all in a 150,000 square foot, architecturally-significant building. Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavilion, features exhibitions and programming that explore the rich topics of architecture and design. Admission to the A+D Center is free. Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is an 8,400 square foot, Silver LEED-certified building named The Galen that presents rotating exhibitions and special collections. It is surrounded by the four-acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden featuring important sculpture works. Admission to the Palm Desert location is free, generously underwritten by Helene V. Galen. For more information, call 760-322-4800, visit psmuseum.org, and follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
