New Pacific Chorale Leader; Grant Opportunities

Pacific Chorale Welcomes New

President and CEO

Pacific Chorale Board Chair Craig Springer today announces that the Board of Directors has named veteran arts leader Rhett M. Del Campo President and CEO of the Grammy-winning ensemble. Del Campo, who assumes the post on May 1, 2024, has notable leadership expertise in the choral field, including a nine-year tenure helming the Grammy-nominated professional vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire and, most recently, serving as the first executive director of iSing Silicon Valley. Prior to moving into arts administration, Del Campo was a professional percussionist, performing with the Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit symphonies, among others, and serving as Principal Percussionist with the Royal Swedish Opera and Ballet.

Read more here.

Grant Opportunities

The California Arts Council has officially launched its 2024 grant season. Applications for eight different funding opportunities including General Operating, Creative Youth Development and Impact Projects are open to eligible arts organizations now through June 6.

To learn more and apply, click here.

Andy Warhol Piece Missing from

Orange Coast College Vault

Orange Coast College is asking for the public’s help in locating an Andy Warhol art piece depicting China’s communist leader Mao Zedong that was stolen from campus. Warhol’s 1972 screen print titled “Mao,” donated to the school in 2020, was last seen in the vault of the Frank M. Doyle Art Pavilion. Campus police in partnership with the Costa Mesa Police Department are investigating the incident.

Read more here.

Disneyland Recognized as

Historic Theme Park District

The DisneylandForward environmental impact report has identified the potential Disneyland Theme Park Historic District as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This automatically places the district on the California Register of Historical Resources.

A major impact of the DisneylandForward proposal would be to Disneyland itself. The park is a historic landmark more than 50 years old that is considered a significant cultural resource. The study notes that change has been the most enduring constant of the 68 year-old theme park.

Read more here.

Golden West College Students Recognized by Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival

Tessa Sarvis and Ian Pedersen were recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for their acting roles in last month’s Golden West College production of Psycho Beach Party. Stage Manager Lydia McRae and Assistant Scenic Designer Rainbow Nguyen were also acknowledged for Meritorious Achievement in Technical Theatre.

Read more here.

In Memoriam

Artist Richard Serra, whose monumental abstract sculptures transformed museums, public spaces and even entire landscapes, has died aged 85. The American sculptor, whose 65 foot tall piece "Connector" is a featured part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus, died from pneumonia at his home in New York. Across his six-decade career, Serra established himself as one of the most celebrated artists in postwar America. Working primarily with steel, often twisted into evocative shapes and oxidized to achieve a distinctive deep orange palette, Serra was known for large-scale sculptures designed not only to be observed but to be explored, experienced and felt.

Read more here.