TBA News
Our Team
Joey Zhou - Chairman
Joey Zhou (Joey Zhou Zheng) is an international TV host, event producer and TV and film producer and director, founder of The Beverly Arts, the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Biennial International Art Festival, producer/director of the "Zhou Zheng Art Channel", and founder/host of the “Zhou Zheng Show”, an independent TV talk show with millions of viewers (channels 62.3 and 31.2) in 2016-2020. Originally from China, Joey came to the U.S. on an academic scholarship and completed a fellowship with the White House Information Agency in media communications. He returned to China to teach at Sichuan Communication University and began a career as a media host doing interviews for newspapers, radio, and television. In 2022, he joined Los Angeles Press Club (LAPC) and the International Documentary Association (IDA). Joey was associate producer of the documentary "Chasing The Dream," and interview host/producer/director for "The Pandemic Enlightenment." He received the 1st Annual LABA Icon Award in 2021, and the RSSG American Culture Award in 2022.
Harrison Engle - Board Member
Harrison Engle is an award-winning director and film maker who has produced over 80 documentaries and dramatic productions. Most of his work is focused on the subjects of history, biography and the arts. Mr. Engle has directed performances of many leading personalities including: James Earl Jones, Beau Bridges, Helen Hunt, Oliver Stone, Meryl Streep, Jimmy Stewart, Steven Spielberg, Martin Sheen, Sean Penn, Senator John Glenn, and astronaut Neil Armstrong. He most recently completed a documentary called "Chasing the Dream" as the director/producer - a film that focused on the stories of Chinese immigrants who successfully established new lives and careers in the United States.
G. James Daichendt, Ed.D - Advisor
G. James Daichendt, Ed.D is an art critic, art historian, professor, author, and a co-chairman of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts International Art Festival and The Beverly Arts Online Exhibition. He is the author of six books, including his most recent book called Robbie Conal: Streetwise: 35 Years of Politically Charged Guerrilla Art. His educational background includes a doctorate degree from Columbia University and graduate degrees from Harvard and Boston Universities. He is currently a Professor, Dean of the Colleges, and Vice-Provost at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, and is serving as Chairman of the Judging Committee for the Los Angeles Beverly Arts International Art Festival.
Carlos Amezcua - Board Member
Carlos Amezcua is an award-winning news anchor and co-founder of BEOND.TV, a full-service media and technology company. A winner of 22 Emmy Awards, Carlos has spent the past 40 years covering news stories around the world for major news organizations that have included CBS, KTLA, and FOX. He has received awards from the Associated Press, the Radio Television News Association's "Golden Mikes" and was part of the team that won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. Other on-air activities have included guest-hosting radio shows on ESPN Radio, KFI, and KEIB, as well as serving as the on-air voice for the annual national Latin Grammy Awards. Carlos is also an accomplished artist and oil painter. Many of his paintings have been showcased at art galleries and fine art shows in California.
Lisa Schulte - Board Member
Lisa Schulte is an American artist, also known as "The Neon Queen", who is best known for her work in expressive neon sculpture. Her work is exhibited at galleries and museums internationally. Schulte started bending neon in the early 1980s, creating custom neon signs and neon prop rentals to the entertainment industry under her Los Angeles-based neon studio, Nights of Neon. In addition to making her own art, Schulte produces custom designs and signage for clients that have included: Showtime, The WB, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, ABC, Nike, CBS, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Gucci, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, YSL, KARMA Automotive, & NBC.
Todd Williamson - Board Member
Todd Williamson is a Los Angeles contemporary artist and former Arts Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood, California. He studied at the American Academy in Rome Italy, the Nuove Opere Napoltane in Naples Italy, the Skopelos Foundation-Skopelos Greece, the Scuola Internazionale di Grafic Venice Italy, and the Louise Bourgeois’ Artists Salon in New York. Williamson has exhibited around the world, including Georges Bergés Gallery in New York, Nicole Longnecker Gallery in Texas, Premium Modern Art in Germany, and Art 1307 in Italy. He has been honored with the prestigious Pollock Krasner Foundation grant, two Artslant International Abstract Showcase Awards, and a 2021 LABA Icon Award.
Rosana Largo Rodriguez - Board Member
Rosana Largo Rodriguez is a Spanish artist who creates contemporary surrealist paintings inspired by classical techniques. She incorporates a variety of techniques and materials to create engaging visual elements and chromatic softness. Largo is the Director of the Museum of Science and Children's Literature in Spain and has exhibited her works in galleries throughout the world. She has received many awards including the Michelangelo International Prize in Rome in 2019, one of the most prestigious art awards to be received, Gold Medal by the Society of Francophone Authors and Artists, First Prize in Hyperrealistic Painting from Société des Artistes du Hurepoix, the Top 10 LABA-MIMV Artist Award in 2022, and a LABA Icon Award in 2023.
Paul N. J. Ottosson - Board Member
Paul N. J. Ottosson is a three-time Oscar winner, sound mixer, and sound designer who has worked on over 150 films. He won two Oscars for the "The Hurt Locker", one for "Zero Dark Thirty" and was nominated for a fourth for "Spider-Man 2". He is also a film maker, member of Academy of Motion Pictures, Cinema Audio Society and M.P.S.E. Paul was born in Sweden and came to United States in 1987 as a musician. He soon turned to producing music and became a re-recording mixer working record albums, movies, and commercials. Paul has also received an Emmy Award, BAFTA award, and a 2021 LABA Icon Award.
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Douglas Ivanovich - Board Member
Doug Ivanovich has 40 years of professional experience in entertainment, broadcasting, marketing, public relations, finance, and business development. He is the Founder and CEO of World Peace One Concerts, the World Peace One Foundation, WP1 Music, and principal architect of WP1’s Global Strategy and Global Peace Initiative. He is also the founder and Executive Director of Storm Aid, and the past CEO of World TV Productions. Humanitarian event origination, production and distribution experience includes Live Aid (2.2 billion viewers), Farm Aid I & II, the World Environment Day broadcast (to 1.5 billion viewers), and the Pope’s Prayer For World Peace & Human Unity (1.4 billion viewers).
Homeira Goldstein - Advisor
A descendent of the Qajar Royal Family in Middle East, Homeira Goldstein is an avid contemporary art collector, an artist in vision and nature, and a multi-talented force dedicated to the arts. She has been focused on promoting art and culture in South Bay and the Greater Los Angeles, creating new opportunities for artists using her expertise in business, education, and the international art world. She is Chairman of the Board for the Manhattan Beach Art Center and TIME4ART, an educational art foundation, and has received many awards including the LABA Icon Award for her work.
Marisa Chaichiolo - Advisor
Marisa Caichiolo is an artist and curator who studied art history and curatorial studies. She holds a PhD in art history and psychology. Her research focuses primarily on the impact on social and political changes in society. She is the founder of Building Bridges International Art Foundation, an international non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California. Building Bridges Art Exchange is dedicated to actively engaging diverse artists, leaders, audiences, and supporters through its mission of cultivating cultural understanding through the arts. Chaichiolo has received many honors and awards including a LABA Icon Award.
Cynthia Penna - Advisor
Cynthia Penna is art curator and the founder of ART1307, an organization which acts as a bridge between the art worlds of Italy and California, connecting artists to exchange ideas, build relationships, and create new opportunities for their art. Over the years she has received many honors, including a LABA Icon Award, and curated over a hundred exhibitions internationally at prestigious museums such as the Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Musa Center at the Royal Palace of Portici, the Museum of Art and History of Lancaster, California, the Metropolitan Museum of Tokyo, the Municipality of Teglio, the Istituto Arte Japan in Milan, and the Ambassade du Tourisme in France.
Sharon Amezcua - Board Member
Sharon (Clayton) Amezcua is Chairman of the Board of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts and the Co-founder of ESE Partners, LLC, and ESE Fund Ltd., a financial services company and associated private equity fund that builds and invests in emerging and established companies in targeted sectors across the world. She is also the Co-founder of SSG, LLC, a technology transfer company managed by five women at the top of their fields, that was created to build companies in the US and Middle East/North Africa. ESE and SSG both have a strong focus on traditional industries converging with new technologies particularly in media, telecommunications, healthcare, technology, alternative energy, and financial services.
Chris Mann - Senior Advisor
Chris Mann, a multi-talented singer, songwriter, actor, and comedian, who captivated audiences worldwide when he appeared on NBC's "The Voice" with his tremendous voice, engaging style, and comedic flair. His musical parody videos with smart-witted lyrics have entertained audiences since 2020, with over 600 million views. A classically trained singer, he performed as "The Phantom" in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera's 25th Anniversary Tour" for over 700 performances. Mann is the winner of a LABA Icon Award and has been featured on news outlets all over the world including CNN, NPR, Today Show, BBC News, Vice, Funny or Die, The New Yorker, and many more.
Sir Laurent Khaiat - Board Member
Sir Laurent Khaiat is the President of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Beverly Hills, and holds leadership positions in many organizations. He is Chairman of the Board of Lakshumi Corporation based in Japan, President & CEO of the Imperial Order Of Constantine The Great and St. Helen and is the Marquis of Sicily and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal and Sovereign House of Cappadocia. His honors include a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Medal of Honor and the King Charles III Leadership Award from the Royal Society of St. George, California Branch, and a Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association (UNA-USA).
Richard Wearn - Advisor
Richard Wearn is a Professor of Art at California State University, Los Angeles, and a visual artist who specializes in sculpture. From New Zealand, Richard has a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of Auckland, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Southern California (USC). Richard's artwork has been exhibited throughout the world and is held in many private and international collections including the Fidelity Corporation in Boston, The Kantor Collection in Beverly Hills, Leonardo DiCaprio's collection, and Charles Desmarais, art critic for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cédric Lebert (CL7) - Advisor
Cédric Lebert, also known as CL7, is a private art dealer and collector with expertise in both the physical and digital art worlds. He holds one of the largest collections of NFTs, currently over one million NFTs, and leads the world market places at Christies, Sothebys and Bonhams auction houses. CL7 is the curator of the web3metaverse, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) for the Vatican in Rome, Italy, working in partnership with Holy Deeds, a faith-based initiative endorsed by the late Pope Francis and newly appointed Pope Leo XIV, to create immersive art, sacred storytelling, and spiritual experiences through the transformative union of art and technology.
Oceana Rain Stuart - Advisor
Oceana Rain Stuart is a master of figurative bronze sculpture, poet, and author from the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work explores realism, symbolism and emotional presence through the human form. She has received many awards including the 2022 LABA Icon Award, Ranieri Sculpture Award from the Allied Artists of America, Board of Directors Award from the American Artists Professional League, Art Lovers Choice from the California Art Club, Blink Art’s Figurative Artist of the Year, and the Alizarin Award at the Representational Figurative Art Conference. Twenty-two works by Stuart, along with a portrait of her beside her sculpture "Woman from the Moon", have been digitally archived on the lunar surface through the Lunar Codex and LifeShip initiatives.
Joe Davidson - Advisor
Joe Davidson is an artist who focuses his work on sculpture and large scale installations. His work touches on themes of gravity and impermanence, with the use of unexpected materials. He graduated in 1995 with a Master's of Fine Art (MFA) degree in Sculpture from San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California and in 1992 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. He has exhibited throughout North America and Europe, and in 2009, received the C.O.L.A. Fellowship from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, California, and is also the recipient of a LABA Icon Award.​
Philippe de Kraan - Advisor
Philippe de Kraan is a well-established Dutch artist, currently living in Australia. With a prolific body of work and a distinct visual language, he is fast becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed contemporary expressionist artists. He incorporates oils and watercolors, light and shadow, with a recognizable palette that carries strong and decisive features. In 2022, he was among the “100 Most Influential and Valuable Artists Globally” at the LABA International Arts Festival, where he was ranked number seven in the world by an independent committee. The De Kraan Art Museum was opened on April 13th, 2023 in collaboration with Saphira & Ventura Gallery and the New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS) in New York City, celebrating his work in an exclusive and permanent space.
Dr. Johnny Mendola - Advisor
Dr. Johnny Mendola, also known as Dr. Johnny Rock, is a versatile business professional whose drive, vision, and business acumen were honed over 21 years in the music industry. His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to establish several successful corporations in diverse industries, including Entertainment / Music, Automotive, and Education. Notably, he has also ventured into the international market with a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise (WFOE) Education company in Shanghai, China. As a hobby, Dr. Johnny has been teaching part-time at various universities throughout southern California.
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Jesse J. Weiner - Chief Legal Counsel and Head of Fiduciary Services/Board Member
Jesse Weiner is the chief legal counsel of LABA, with deep experience in the art world, representing artists, gallerists, and dealers worldwide. He is also a partner of YK Law LLP, where his practice also includes entertainment and corporate matters with a focus on film financing and development transactions and intellectual property. Having worked in China for more than 10 years – and representing Hunan TV in the largest-value outbound investment into Hollywood at the time -- he is well-versed in international affairs and business culture. Besides being a registered attorney in both California and New York, he earned a graduate degree in music. He initially went to China as a composer/conductor, first working at the Central Conservatory, the preeminent music school in China.
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