Hollywood Veteran Maria Arena Bell Appointed as Chair of LA28 Cultural Olympiad

On the heels of an announcement that Reynold Hoover has been tapped as CEO of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, leadership is coming into focus for Cultural Olympiad, the arts and culture platform that accompanies the games in each host city.

Maria Arena Bell — an Angeleno, arts advocate and well-known Hollywood veteran who served as an Emmy Award-winning head writer and executive producer at The Young and the Restless — has been named chair of the LA28 Cultural Olympiad.

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The organization is designed to “highlight and expand access to the region’s rich cultural landscape, celebrating diverse voices and the bold artistic history of Los Angeles.” In doing so, the group presents original artistic content and programs while amplifying cultural institutions, performances, events and exhibitions spanning film, fashion, visual art, dance, theater, music and culinary experiences.

In her role as chair, Bell will work with LA28 and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the L.A. County Department of Arts & Culture, partner institutions, community organizations and creators. She will be charged with assembling a roster of arts professionals, curators, educators and advocates.

Bell, founder of Vitameatavegamin Prods., previously served as board chair at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, for five years, working with such artists as Takashi Murakami, Francesco Vezzoli, Doug Aitken, Marina Abramovic and Rob Pruitt, among others. Bell served as a chair for P.S. Arts and was appointed to the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission in 2013 by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, among other notable roles. She was honored in 2015 with an award from Americans for the Arts for her art advocacy.

In other LA28 news this week, leaders proposed to the International Paralympic Committee to add para climbing to the 2028 Paralympic sports program.

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