The Arts Council for Long Beach (ArtsLB) announced today that Lisa DeSmidt, Director of Programs, has been appointed Interim Executive Director, effective February 2, 2026
DeSmidt has spent the past ten years at ArtsLB helping shape the organization’s programs, people, and approach to serving Long Beach’s creative community. She currently oversees ArtsLB’s programs, staff, and interns, and curates the annual Professional Artist Fellows Exhibition. Her appointment reflects years of intentional planning, leadership development, and institutional knowledge built from within the organization.
A Long Beach–based artist and local business owner since 2009, DeSmidt brings both creative practice and operational experience to the role. Her background includes work in marketing, event production, community outreach, and curation, organizing large-scale events for the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, TED Conferences, LLC, The Designory, Blizzard Entertainment, and others. She previously served as Assistant Curator at the Torrance Art Museum and continues to exhibit her work nationally and internationally.
“Lisa has been a central part of ArtsLB for many years, and the Board’s confidence in her leadership is unanimous,” said Anne Lattime, President of the ArtsLB Board of Directors. “She knows this organization, she knows this community, and she has helped shape the programs and partnerships that artists and cultural organizations rely on. We are proud to support her as she steps into this role.”
DeSmidt is a local business owner who holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from California State University, Long Beach, and has completed additional coursework in the Design Communications Certificate Program at the University of Southern California. She is a graduate of the Nonprofit Partnership’s Emerging Leaders program and has served as a Peer Group Leader for the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture’s Internship Program.
“ArtsLB has been my professional home for the past decade, and I’ve been deeply involved in building the programs and partnerships that support our creative community,” said Lisa DeSmidt. “I’m grateful to Griselda for her leadership and mentorship, and I’m honored to step into this role. I’m ready to continue strengthening an organization that plays a vital role in Long Beach’s creative economy and cultural life.”
All ArtsLB programs and operations will continue as planned.
Lisa DeSmidt, Interim Executive Director
Lisa DeSmidt is the Interim Executive Director of the Arts Council for Long Beach (ArtsLB) and a Long Beach–based artist and small business owner. She has spent the past ten years at ArtsLB, most recently serving as Director of Programs, where she has played a central role in shaping the organization’s programs, staff, and community partnerships.
At ArtsLB, DeSmidt oversees core programs, staff, and interns, and curates the annual Professional Artist Fellows Exhibition. Her work has helped strengthen ArtsLB’s support for artists and cultural organizations across Long Beach, with a focus on access, sustainability, and community-centered practice. As a small business owner since 2009, she brings firsthand experience navigating the realities facing creative entrepreneurs and local businesses.
DeSmidt brings a broad professional background in arts administration, marketing, event production, community outreach, and curation. Prior to joining ArtsLB, she organized large-scale events for the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, TED Conferences, LLC, The Designory, Blizzard Entertainment, and other organizations through her role as Director of Sales and Marketing at a major Long Beach event venue. She also served as Assistant Curator at the Torrance Art Museum from 2012 to 2015, where she curated numerous exhibitions.
She holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from California State University, Long Beach, and has completed coursework in the Design Communications Certificate Program at the University of Southern California. DeSmidt is a graduate of the Nonprofit Partnership’s Emerging Leaders program and has served as a Peer Group Leader for the South Bay cohort of interns through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture’s Internship Program. Her artwork has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States and internationally.