Harlan Brownlee, President & CEO

 

My best arts memory… The first time I saw Jerome Robbins choreography in West Side Story.  I knew I wanted to dance like that!

A quote I love… The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams – Eleanor Roosevelt

If I were an instrument, I would be… A violin; in the hands of a master, it creates one of the most beautiful and complex sounds imaginable.

My favorite artist is… At the moment I’m really enjoying, “of Montreal” a quirky daring musical group known for its psych-pop songs.

I am inspired by… The art and artists of Kansas City; so much beautiful and inspiring art, dance, and theater is being created right here in the Kansas City Region. It’s amazing!

 

Harlan Brownlee, President and CEO of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, possesses a passion for the arts guided by a disciplined approach to change. Understanding the transformational power that the arts have to improve the quality of life for a community, he has led the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City in developing community partnerships dedicated to ensuring access to the arts and cultural development for the region. Brownlee has worked for twenty-eight years in the arts field as a performing artist, arts educator, and arts administrator. From 2005 to 2009, he served as the Executive Director for Kansas City Young Audiences, a non-profit dedicated to engaging all youth in the arts, promoting creativity, and inspiring success in education.

 

Mr. Brownlee is on the Kennedy Center’s national touring roster for the Partners in Education program and has conducted master classes, workshops and residencies extensively in the Midwest and throughout the United States. In addition, he has been an adjunct professor for Rockhurst University’s School of Education and the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s School of Education. Since 1996, Harlan has served as a consultant for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and as a member of the Fine Arts Task Force. 

 

Mr. Brownlee received his B.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was educated as a dancer and choreographer. His performance background includes work for thirteen years as one of the Artistic Co-Directors with City in Motion Dance Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.  Mr. Brownlee received his M.A. in Educational Research and Psychology from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. Harlan serves as the Regional Vice-President for Missouri Citizens for the Arts (MCA), Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies (MACAA) and Kansas City Missouri’s Downtown Council’s boards. He is a Past-President of the Missouri Dance Educators Organization (MDEO), former board member for the Kansas City School of the Arts (KCSA) former board member for the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE),   and a past Associate Editor for the Teaching Artist Journal.

 

Harlan’s wife is Linda Putthoff, owner of Plaza Wellspring.  Together they share a passion for dance having met first at City in Motion Dance Theater. They reside in Kansas City, Missouri and have three daughters, Samantha, Leah, and Amber.

 

816.994.9222

Brownlee@ArtsKC.org

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Photo by Larry Levenson