Arts Umbrella, Vancouver’s non-profit arts education group, has appointed Paul Larocque as its new president and CEO.

Larocque has more than 30 years of experience in the city’s cultural sector and has held management positions with Arts Umbrella in the late '90s and early 2000s. More recently, he worked as associate director at the Vancouver Art Gallery and has served on various boards, including the Volumes Project, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, and Boca del Lupo.

He returns to Arts Umbrella with the goal of improving access to the arts for Metro Vancouver youth that will encourage creative thinking and artistic expression.

With three locations across the Lower Mainland, Arts Umbrella reaches 20,000 children and your every year. The group helps students of all socioeconomic and geographical backgrounds access a number of free community art programs.