Updated: A celebration of the life of Andrew Campbell will be held on January 20, 2024 at the All Saints Episcopal Church, in Beverly Hills at 11am.
Longtime city staffer Andrew Campbell passed away with family at his side. Campbell worked at the City of West Hollywood from 2007 to 2020 before his retirement.
Campbell passionately served as the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Manager. Under his leadership, the City of West Hollywood was recognized with many prestigious awards. Among those were two in 2018, one award from the National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Program, and the other award from the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Year in Review program. Campbell retired from City Hall shortly thereafter.
Campbell cared deeply for and loved WeHo. He often reached out to talk to me with personal thoughts about how we could improve this publication. He penned this op-ed discussing his perceived misogyny among some commenters. You can read the op-ed here: Op-Ed – Misogyny in Our Comments.
Mayor-elect John Erickson wrote on his Facebook page announcing the passing of Campbell: “West Hollywood lost a giant tonight. Rest in Power, my amazing friend Andrew. I’ll never forget your kind smile, your beautiful heart, and your dedication to the arts. You made us and our city better.”
Council member Lauren Meister added her condolences with praise of Campbell’s service to West Hollywood. “Andrew Campbell really made our Arts Division what it is today. It was through his vision that art and culture became and integral part of Weho. Andrew was a very special person – smart, down to earth, and kind. He was not only a former staff member and city commissioner, but also a resident who loved this city. He will be missed.
Long serving West Hollywood City Council member and founding father of West Hollywood John Heilman added: “It’s heartbreaking. Andrew was such a beloved and devoted employee and resident. He conceptualized and created our entire arts program. His work will live on forever in West Hollywood.
Campbell was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went to college at the University of Minnesota and completed his studies at UCLA.
Janice Maltz Perron wrote on Andrew’s Facebook page back in 2016, “Just donated to ONE Archives Foundation in honor of Andrew Campbell, who has been such a friend of the arts, WeHo, and the LGBTQ+ community. I could not think of a finer organization to associate with his accomplishments.”
Condolences to Mr. Campbell’s loved ones and condolences to us West Hollywood residents for the loss of a visionary that saw what Weho could be. That he conceptualized art and how it could interact with residents and those that did not live here was a special talent and that he knew how to effectively apply it is the cherry on top. Look around, we have art everywhere. So grateful, Mr. Campbell. Thank you for everything.
Always accessible, always delightful, Andrew loved living in West Hollywood and serving the community. This is a sad loss but we were lucky to have Andrew at City Hall.
One of the nicest people to work for and with. Andrew was a mentor and friend. His memory will always be my blessing.
Andrew was a gem of a person and a visionary who passionately helped steer our City’s cultural affairs and arts programs forward. He helped West Hollywood develop arts and cultural programs that a City of our stature deserves and was a kind, funny and compassionate individual. He will be sorely missed.