By Lenroy James
Alexander Campos was welcomed as the new executive director of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning last Friday morning.
Flushed with the confidence befitting a man with a long and enviable track record of service and work done with other respected organizations and arts centers, Campos appeared upbeat as he begins to take on the challenges ahead.
Mark Monteverdi, president of JCAL’s board of directors, said Campos reflects the high standard that the center seeks to maintain. The rest of the board is enthusiastic about the newest member of the JCAL family, Monteverdi said. He also called Campos “a tremendous asset as the center enters a phase of dynamic history.”
Campos said that with such a rich, eclectic mix of cultures in Queens, and throughout all of New York, he incredible networking possibilities. “I am extremely honored and excited in the new challenge and opportunity at JCAL,” he said.
He added, “New York is the most culturally excited city in the world and as such should have the best arts programs to offer.” He will try to bridge the gap between the emerging artists and professional artists, he said. The center will continue its rich tradition as an educational workshop, where students are expected to receive the best training in the arts.
Campos, a native of Los Angeles, has been in professional arts for 15 years, dealing with community and government affairs, marketing and public relations.
While serving as director of marketing and communications at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, he dabbled in various capacities, including staff liaison to governmental and cultural officials, such as the Bronx borough president, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Bronx Council on the Arts. Prior to that appointment, Campos worked for the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, where he managed individual giving, membership programs, events, and donor cultivation activities.
Campos plans to add to his reputation as an outstanding worker and leader, in a field he loves dearly. He sees it as a way to foster and improve better relationship with the community at large.
The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning is located at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue. It is a multi-disciplinary non-profit arts organization serving Southeastern Queens. They provide accessible, diverse programs that foster creative expression and personal growth for all groups. Each year, more than 65,000 individuals participates in the Center’s affordable Education, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts Programs.
