The Colusa County Arts Council voted to confirm Daniel LoPilato and LK James as joint directors at a special meeting on Wednesday, April 5, replacing longtime Executive Director Sharon Reische.
Reische retired from her position with the local nonprofit last month. The new directors plan to modernize the Arts Council’s operations, revitalize the community-oriented creative space, and expand the footprint of the organization within the county and state, officials said in a news release.
Reische believed it was time to recruit younger leadership.
“We are lucky to have not one, but two very creative people to continue and expand the legacy of the Arts Council,” said Reische, who will remain on the Board as the treasurer for the organization.
LoPilato, a writer and educator originally from Atlanta, and James, a visual artist and illustrator who returned to her hometown of Colusa in 2020, expressed their thanks to Reische and to the Board for the firm foundation they laid.
“We can’t wait to work with the artists in our community and make the Arts Council a model for local public arts agencies,” James said.
LoPilato and James took over after the coronavirus pandemic challenged the organization and its network of local residents, artists, and volunteers. Intent on rebounding, the Arts Council secured increased funding in recent months to bolster public and educational programming. A generous grant from the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation will support the Levitt AMP Colusa Music Series set to begin in June. A Creative Youth Development grant from the California Arts Council supports the ARTventures workshops currently offered to Colusa County youth.
“The Colusa County Arts Council is a special community resource,” LoPilato said. “It’s an honor to be trusted with its operation.”
From the public’s perspective, the Colusa County Arts Council won’t skip a beat. The new co-directors will judge a Plein Air art contest at the annual Wine Tasting event hosted by the Friends of the Colusa County Library in Will S. Green Park on May 6, from 9 AM to 2 PM, and a spoken word event featuring local literary artists will take place on May 18, from 6-7:30 PM, in the Arts Council’s gallery, 151 5th Street.
The Colusa County Arts Council is a nonprofit offering countywide arts programs that enrich the community, nurture artist development, provide educational arts programs, and give an artistic voice to the diverse cultures of Colusa County. ■
