Hometown: Sartell. Born in Pittsburg, Penn. Family: Wife, Patty Candella; sons Liam, 14; Seth. 11; Aiden, 9; and daughter Harper, 5. Hobbies: Coaching soccer, collecting art and occasionally cooking. Favorite Quote: “In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus.
For Sartell resident Brian Jose the arts are about more than putting on a good show. It’s about how an artist not only engages the audience, but the community beyond the stage.
This is what the executive director of Fine Arts Programming at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University enjoys most about being a presenter. It’s this passion that he brings to the board of Association for Performing Arts Presenters.
A member for about 11 years, the 49-year-old was recently elected to the national organization’s board – making CSB the only liberal-arts college represented on the board of directors. Other institutions include Purdue University and the University of Illinois.
He is excited about his new role. His three-year-term kicked off on Jan. 20.
“I was humbled,” Jose said of his nomination. “It was nice to be recognized but it was very humbling.”
Based in Washington, D.C., the APAP is an international service-and-advocacy organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing-arts field. Members represent the nation’s leading performing-arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, as well as international artist agencies, managers and touring companies.
Jose, a graduate of Wittenberg University, has been with CSB/SJU since August 2008. Before that he served as the director of marketing and communications for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.
His resume also includes work with the Arizona State University Herberger College of Fine Arts and nine years between the Buffalo (N.Y.) Philharmonic Orchestra and the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra.
Jose said the board of directors also gained new leadership this fall. Mario Garcia Durham is the president of the APAP, and Jose is eager to work with him.
“I just really feel like he’s going to do great things,” he said. “It can be harrying to have great change. I’m thrilled to be a part of that change and new direction.”
The board is comprised of presenters, producers, artists and artist managers. Of the presenters, there is a portion that is affiliated with a college. To be included in this portion means a lot.
The APAP is a governance board. As a board member, Jose will help set the strategy and direction of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Board members meet three times a year – twice in Washington, D.C. and once in New York for the annual conference. Jose is still awaiting his committee assignments.
When asked if he has any concerns about his new role, the Sartell resident is slow to say yes but only because it is an added layer to his world. But it is a layer he loves.
“When I do something I want to do it well,” he said. “Having a full-time job and a family of six, it’s another commitment. I’ve been in the arts for almost 25 years because I love it. It’s a labor of love.”
Posted on
Thu, February 2, 2012
by TaLeiza Calloway