The Arts Council for Long Beach has appointed its new executive director.
Lisa DeSmidt, who has worked with the nonprofit for a decade and has served as its interim leader since February, has officially filled the role permanently. She takes the helm from Griselda Suarez, who joined the city as its first cultural affairs officer.
DeSmidt has helped shape the organization’s programs, community partnerships and strategic vision. Her appointment, officials said, reflects the board of directors’ confidence in a leader who deeply understands the unique pulse of Long Beach’s creative community.
“For more than a decade, Lisa has been instrumental in making the Arts Council what it is today,” Anne Lattime, president of the ArtsLB board of directors, said in a statement. “When she stepped in as interim executive director, she brought the exact same collaborative spirit, creativity, and fierce commitment that have defined her entire career here.
“The board is thrilled to officially name her executive director,” Lattime added. “We know she is the right person to build meaningful opportunities for our artists and champion a thriving creative future for Long Beach.”
DeSmidt, a Long Beach artist and small business owner since 2009, bridges the gap between hands-on creative practice and executive leadership, officials said.
Before her new appointment, she managed the nonprofit’s core programming, and staff and internship initiatives while curating the annual Professional Artist Fellows Exhibition, according to a press release. Her extensive background spans marketing, event production and large-scale curation for major entities, including Visit Long Beach, TED Conferences and Blizzard Entertainment.
She previously worked as an assistant curator at the Torrance Art Museum and continues exhibiting her own artwork both nationally and internationally, the press release said.
DeSmidt steps into the permanent role during a high-momentum period for the organization, the press release said. ArtsLB recently launched IMAGINE28, a new grant initiative that empowers local artists, nonprofits and community groups to create public art activations ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This major initiative runs alongside the nonprofit’s daily work in public art curation, grantmaking, arts education and cultural advocacy.
Under DeSmidt’s leadership, ArtsLB enters its next half-century focused on expanding cultural equity, securing vital resources for creators, and cementing arts and culture as a defining element of Long Beach’s civic identity, officials said.
“As ArtsLB celebrates its 50th anniversary, I am incredibly honored to lead this organization forward,” DeSmidt said in a statement. “For five decades, ArtsLB has thrived because of visionary creators, a dedicated staff, and community partners who believe that culture is the backbone of Long Beach.
“I’m eager to build on that legacy,” DeSmidt added, “expanding direct support for local artists, investing in bold public art, and ensuring that creativity remains accessible to every neighborhood in our city.”