Arts are for Everybody!

With more than four decades of teaching and building Visual and Performing Arts programs in schools, Dr. De Sal is a highly sought-after Arts administrator known for her ability to assess an institution’s goals and develop programs and curriculums of excellence that reflect a school’s culture and philosophy of education.

In addition to serving as the Director of Arts and Artistic Director of Conservatory Studies for both university and K-12 institutions, Dr. De Sal has built programs for a wide range of public non-profits including public libraries and parks and recreation programs, providing opportunities for students identified as at risk in underserved communities. Under her directorship, Viewpoint School was granted the BRAVO Award for Excellence in Arts Education by the Los Angeles Music Center, and Dr. De Sal was an honoree for an individual teaching award for her Conservatory programs in Dance and Theater. She is the creator of the well noted 5UP program featuring five-minute talks by adults and students to inform, inspire and ignite, and she initiated a similar program for younger students entitled Give Me a Minute! She was also invited to serve as a board member for Augustana Arts in Denver and on the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs committee to evaluate grants for dance. She holds a Ph.D. in English and is a writer as well as a Spoken Word artist. Her personal belief is that the Arts are for everybody and that there cannot be true diversity without a commitment to inclusivity.