Arts Council for Long Beach Appoints Lisa DeSmidt as Interim Executive Director

Long Beach — The Arts Council for Long Beach or ArtsLB announced that Lisa DeSmidt, director of programs, has been appointed interim executive director, effective Feb. 2.

DeSmidt has spent the past ten years at ArtsLB helping shape the organization’s programs, people, and approach to serving Long Beach’s creative community. She currently oversees ArtsLB’s programs, staff, and interns, and curates the annual Professional Artist Fellows Exhibition. Her appointment reflects years of intentional planning, leadership development, and institutional knowledge built from within the organization.

A Long Beach–based artist and local business owner since 2009, DeSmidt brings both creative practice and operational experience to the role. Her background includes work in marketing, event production, community outreach, and curation, organizing large-scale events for the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, TED Conferences, LLC, The Designory, Blizzard Entertainment, and others. She previously served as assistant curator at the Torrance Art Museum and continues to exhibit her work nationally and internationally.

“Lisa has been a central part of ArtsLB for many years, and the Board’s confidence in her leadership is unanimous,” said Anne Lattime, President of the ArtsLB Board of Directors. “She knows this organization, she knows this community, and she has helped shape the programs and partnerships that artists and cultural organizations rely on. We are proud to support her as she steps into this role.”

DeSmidt is a local business owner who holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from California State University, Long Beach, and has completed additional coursework in the Design Communications Certificate Program at the University of Southern California. She is a graduate of the Nonprofit Partnership’s Emerging Leaders program and has served as a Peer Group Leader for the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture’s Internship Program.

“ArtsLB has been my professional home for the past decade, and I’ve been deeply involved in building the programs and partnerships that support our creative community,” said Lisa DeSmidt. “I’m grateful to Griselda for her leadership and mentorship, and I’m honored to step into this role. I’m ready to continue strengthening an organization that plays a vital role in Long Beach’s creative economy and cultural life.”

All ArtsLB programs and operations will continue as planned.