UCLA Live names new artistic director

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Nearly a year after its lead job became vacant, UCLA Live will name a new executive and artistic director Tuesday morning.

Kristy Edmunds is coming to Westwood after 15 years as an institution-building hero of the Portland, Ore., contemporary arts scene, and four more as a lightning rod in Australia, where her avant-garde choices as artistic director of the annual Melbourne International Arts Festival reaped both criticism and respect.

Edmunds, 45, has the task of restoring some of the adventurousness and range that have been sacrificed in the face of dwindling resources and attendance. Last May, David Sefton resigned after 10 years in charge of the program, saying that his bosses’ decision to cancel the annual International Theater Festival he’d shepherded was a deal-breaker.

Edmunds’ new colleagues, including Christopher Waterman, dean of UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture, think she has the charisma and connections to attract compelling performers, along with the donations needed to underwrite an adventurous program.

Click here for the full story about Edmunds’ three-year appointment.

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-- Mike Boehm