by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell resident Brian Jose was recently honored as the top North American “Presenter of Fine Arts” at an awards banquet at the Hilton Hotel in New York City.
Since 2008, Jose has served as executive director of Fine Arts Programming for St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict.
The award, whose official title is “North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents Award” is presented annually by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters of which Jose is a member of the board.
“I believe the very bedrock of our industry are the partnerships, collaborations and friendships between performing artists, managers, agents and presenters,” Jose said in accepting the award. “And the very foundation of whatever success any of us enjoys in our field is wholly dependent on the health of those relationships. So, to be recognized by these very artists, managers and agents as ‘Presenter of the Year,’ what more could a presenter ask for?”
Eligibility for the award is based on the following criteria: must represent a not-for-profit entity; must have a proven dedication to the future of presenting performing arts; must demonstrate an unwavering respect for colleagues in the fine-arts field, including artists, managers and fellow presenters; and must show at all times exemplary ethical behavior.
Under Jose’s tutelage, SJU and CSB have presented world-class performers throughout the years – a series of programming that includes plays, music of virtually every description, traditional and modern dance, poetry, comedy acts and one-man and one-woman shows of a staggering variety.
In 2013, Jose was one of four presenters chosen to travel to Pakistan by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Jose, on the trip to that country, was part of the “Center Stage” delegation, a cultural-exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Jose has had more than 27 years experience as an arts administrator. Before moving to central Minnesota, he was director of marketing and communications of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Md. There, he was part of the management team of what is one of the most influential, prestigious performing-arts facilities in the nation.
Jose and his wife, Patty Candella, have four children: Liam, Seth, Aiden and Harper. Patty is the executive producer of the “Sartell Says” debate series. (For more about Candella, see story in today’s paper.)
Brian Jose of Sartell recently won a top honor for “Presenter of Fine Arts” in New York City. Jose is executive director of Fine Arts Programming for St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict.
