Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Tuesday named Gretchen Hollrah as the new leader of Denver Arts & Venues, filling a role that oversees multimillion-dollar projects at some of the state’s biggest music, arts and entertainment venues.
Hollrah’s appointment comes after the September ouster of Ginger White-Brunetti, the former Arts & Venues director appointed by former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. As is customary with new administrations, White-Brunetti in July was asked to reapply for her job as Johnston assembled his own team.
Unlike White-Brunetti, Hollrah will lead Denver Arts & Venues while also serving as deputy chief operating officer for Johnston’s administration, continuing the role that she started in August. The A&V director job will remain a separate, paid position, but Hollrah will only be paid for her COO job, according to Johnston’s office.
Hancock had appointed White-Brunetti as deputy director of Arts & Venues in 2012, following a stint with the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs. In her 18 years with the city, White-Brunetti helped design road maps for Denver’s cultural revival, including the Create Denver program, and oversaw years of record revenue and venue visits as tourism, arts attendance and metro-area cultural investments skyrocketed, pre-pandemic.
Hollrah’s appointment was today announced along with Dwight Jones, the new director of the Office of Children’s Affairs, and Jeff Dolan, Johnston’s new chief strategy officer and counsel.
“Dwight, Gretchen, and Jeff know Denver inside and out, and their leadership will make Denver the best city for artists, kids and families, and community members,” Johnston said in a press statement. “They’ve committed their lives to serving Denver, and I look forward to continuing to work shoulder-to-shoulder to deliver on our promise of a vibrant Denver.”
Hollrah most recently worked as COO of Denver Center for the Performing Arts, one of the country’s biggest nonprofit theater organizations, and had been with the city for the previous two decades, including stints as interim director of the Department of Excise and Licenses, and the city’s chief projects officer, overseeing the National Western Center and others.
Denver Arts & Venues is the nonprofit city agency that owns and operates Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Coliseum, Loretto Heights and McNichols Civic Center Building. It programs free and low-cost art events, maintains the city’s public art collection, runs the Five Points Jazz Festival, and operates on taxpayer dollars.
Last year the agency spent about $9.4 million in venue improvements, including at Red Rocks, and distributed $3 million in grants and funding to 350 arts organizations, according to its website.
