Daniel Gabriel to Retire as Arts Program Director at COMPAS
/Saint Paul, MN (February 17, 2016) – Today, COMPAS announces that Arts Program Director Daniel Gabriel will retire from the organization on June 30, 2016.
“We’re incredibly grateful for Daniel’s passion and dedication to COMPAS;” said COMPAS Executive Director Dawne Brown White. “His passion for the arts, and commitment to Minnesota teaching artists, has helped connect millions of people with the magic of creativity.”
During his 28-year tenure Gabriel served as a program associate, an artist in residence, and the program director for Writers & Artists in the Schools before taking his current title of Arts Program Director. He was instrumental in several organization expansions, including expanding the COMPAS teaching artist roster to include artists of all art forms.
An accomplished writer, Gabriel’s published work includes a novel, Twice a False Messiah, two story collections, Wrestling with Angels and Tales from the Tinker’s Dam, and hundreds of nonfiction articles on immersion travel, baseball, rock ‘n’ roll, and other topics. He sustained and helped further develop the annual COMPAS Young Writers Anthology, which publishes work from young writers and poets across Minnesota, and served as editor for two anthologies: The River Starts Flowing and Punch at the Wild Tornado.
“I’ve been privileged to spend the bulk of my professional life doing something that I love and believe in – helping people from all walks of life unleash creativity, while supporting and building relationships with our incredibly talented Minnesota teaching artists;” said Gabriel. “I look forward to watching from afar as this important work continues to grow.”
Gabriel plans to spend his retirement writing and enjoying his other passions – travel and spending time with his wife, Judith, and sons, Alex and Evan. In anticipation of Daniel’s departure, COMPAS is hiring for two positions: a Creative Classroom Program Director, and an Artful Aging Program Manager. Information on the two positions, including instructions on how to apply can be found at the links above.
Media Contact:
Juliana Anderson Wilkins
Office: 651.292.4313
Cell: 504.906.5282
Juliana@compas.org
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About COMPAS
COMPAS uses the arts to unleash the creativity within all of us, so that we can create better lives and better communities. The staff and 100+ artists on its roster are experienced innovators in creative, art-filled learning and have been cited for excellence by the Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the MN Dept of Education, the NEA and others. Programs are held at schools, libraries, hospitals, shelters and other community centers. Artists hail from over 40 different cultural backgrounds and engage people in award-winning art-creation experiences in a variety of literary, musical, visual and performing art genres.
