Create
Arts Alive!: Helen French, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
Two weeks into the job, the support group’s executive director talks about the city’s arts community – and the future.
Joining us today in the Arts Alive! podcast studio is Helen French, the newly-minted executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
French is a St. Pete native, and after a lengthy and successful career as a professional dancer she returned to her hometown, got married and began raising a family. Ten years ago, she co-founded Beacon, St. Pete’s annual dance concert, which brings together collaborators from the worlds of music and art, as well as dance.
She also has arts administration experience, and – as she explains in this conversation – a passion for bringing people together. She teaches dance at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts.
French is also a serious arts advocate, which made her a natural for the Arts Alliance’s Big Chair.
There’s discussion about the SHINE Mural Festival, the Alliance’s ACE education program, the elevation of the performing arts and her wishes and plans for the future of the nonprofit umbrella arts organization, and its role in the future of the community.
Click on the arrow to listen to the interview.
