programs, exhibits and events,<\/a> the foundation seeks to preserve and promote an appreciation of Italian language, arts, literature, history, fashion, cuisine and commerce.<\/p>\nCulinary, wellness and language programs are some of its offerings. The center also hosts special events and offers college-bound scholarships.<\/p>\n
Decades of leadership<\/p>\n
Daniels has more than two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit cultural education, program innovation and community engagement. She joins Casa Belvedere following a 20-year tenure at the Noble Maritime Collection at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Livingston, where she has served as director of programs since December 2005.<\/p>\n
During her tenure, Daniels developed widely respected educational initiatives that served more than 3,000 students annually.<\/p>\n
She was particularly well known for creating inclusive and accessible programming, including pioneering work supporting children with autism.<\/p>\n
Among her many accomplishments, Daniels authored \u201cMusical Voyage Around the World,\u201d funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and \u201cMaritime Careers of New York Harbor,\u201d which was featured in the Metropolitan section of The New York Times in July 2022. She also played a significant role in institutional development efforts, securing critical funding to strengthen and expand museum programming.<\/p>\n
Earlier in her career, Daniels held positions with several prominent cultural organizations, including Snug Harbor Cultural Center and the Staten Island Children\u2019s Museum. She also owned and operated the Forest Haven Center for Dance and Music, where she taught Irish step dancing, reflecting her lifelong dedication to arts education.<\/p>\n
Daniels holds a bachelor of arts degree in museum studies and music history from SUNY Empire State University. In addition to her work in cultural leadership, she is an accomplished musician and a member of the traditional music ensemble Avon Faire.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on her appointment, Daniels shared that \u201cItaly\u2019s cultural legacy \u2014 spanning art, music, science, and cuisine \u2014 represents one of the world\u2019s most extraordinary contributions to civilization. I am honored to advance Casa Belvedere\u2019s mission through dynamic, welcoming programs that inspire curiosity, creativity, and connection across generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biancardi welcomed Daniels\u2019 appointment. <\/p>\n
\u201cDawn Daniels is a remarkable cultural leader whose career reflects exactly the kind of vision, creativity, and community-centered thinking that defines Casa Belvedere\u2019s future,\u2019’ Biancardi said. \u201dHer depth of experience, passion for arts education, and commitment to accessibility make her an extraordinary addition to our institution.”<\/p>\n
As Casa Belvedere continues its trajectory of growth, Daniels\u2019 leadership will play a pivotal role in guiding us into the next chapter, Biancardi said.<\/p>\n
Daniels will lend leadership as the institution continues expanding its educational initiatives, strengthening partnerships and enhancing its role as a cultural destination where heritage, arts, and community converge, the cultural center\u2019s announcement said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Belvedere has announced the appointment of Dawn Daniels…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132834,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-132833","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}