National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC) Names Adriana Gallego Deputy Director

Today the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC) announces the hiring of Adriana Gallego as NALAC's new Deputy Director.

Gallego's hiring follows the addition of nationally recognized writer and digital media creator, TJ Gonzales as NALAC's Marketing and Outreach Associate. Also, Maria Tapia was brought on as the Executive Assistant to Executive Director Maria De Leon.

"I am pleased that Adriana will be joining NALAC as Deputy Director. She comes to NALAC with multiple years of experience at the Arizona Arts Commission developing grants programs and providing professional development services. Adriana is an alumnus of the NALAC Leadership Institute and has been involved with NALAC over many years. I am also pleased with the other new additions to the NALAC staff, TJ Gonzales and Maria Tapia. We will continue to strengthen NALAC's infrastructure over the coming months with additional staff to allow us the capacity to address the challenges facing the Latino arts community and the larger arts industry," said NALAC Executive Director, Maria Lopez de Leon.

During her tenure as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Gallego developed programs, grants, partnerships and services in support of arts organizations, artists, universities/schools, community groups and government agencies She served on many advisory boards and committees including the Transportation Enhancement Review Committee, the Asset Building for Artists of Color Advisory Board, the Flagstaff Cultural Partners Arts Advisory Board and the Arizona Public Art Network. As a painter, Gallego's artwork is forged from ideals about equality and understanding rooted in the Civil Rights and Feminist movements, with sensibilities born out of her upbringing alongside the United States-Mexico border. She received the Border-Ford Bi-national Painting Award and has completed several mural commissions in Arizona and California.

Commenting on her selection as NALAC's Deputy Director, Gallego said, "In my experience, NALAC's guiding principles are not only inspiring, but they are transformative in practice. I very much look forward to contributing to this trajectory in the service of cultivating a vibrant, diverse Latino arts and culture sector."

The addition of Gallego, Gonzales and Tapia in their respective positions comes as NALAC prepares for the 2012 National Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA from October 17th to October 21st.

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