Manuel Prieto
Manuel Prieto is an artist, educator and arts administrator who joined the Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt), a not-for-profit arts organization in East Los Angeles that promotes equitable access to arts programs for local students, during a time of significant transition for the organization and community-at-large.
Under his short but impactful leadership as Executive Director, LAMusArt has increased participation on its Board of Directors by 50%, increased opportunities for local students to enroll in tuition-free music ensemble programs by 50%, and created an advisory council of young professionals that not only fundraises on behalf of the organization, but which also provides training in board governance, finance, and event planning to all members.
Prior to joining LAMusArt, Prieto worked as an educator with Center Theatre Group and P.S. Arts. At CTG he managed patron accessibility initiatives and developed bilingual curriculum for their education & community engagement department’s initiative, “theatre in your everyday life” as well as led college and high school educators and students on classroom strategies and theatrical design. At P.S. Arts, he taught and created bilingual visual art and storytelling curricula for underserved areas of Los Angeles County.
As an artist, Prieto has designed costumes and scenery for production companies and organizations that include the E! Network, Center Theatre Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Cornerstone Theatre, El Teatro Campesino, 24th STreet Theater and the LATC.
Prieto holds a B.F.A. from the University of Southern California in Theatre Design with an emphasis on education and a M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University. He was recently elected to the national Americans for the Arts Emerging Arts Leaders Council and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).
