The Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission is mandated by the City Charter to advise the Department of Cultural Affairs on issues relating to the City's cultural life. The current Commission, under the chairmanship of Agnes Gund, was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg in February 2003. Over the past year, the Commission has provided invaluable guidance and expertise on a variety of critical areas, including arts education, capital financing, management and board development and marketing.

February 24, 2003

From left to right, back row: Daniel Brodsky, Patricia E. Harris, Robert Esnard, Michael Lynne, Alan H. Fishman, Dolores M. Fernández, Eddy Bayardelle, Robert Soros, Jeanette Sarkisian Wagner, Raymond J. McGuire, Charles C. Bergman, Laura Jean Watters, Adrian Benepe, David M. Sable, Agnes Gund, Kate D. Levin

Front Row: Judith O. Rubin, Chuck Close, Susan K. Freedman, Karen Brooks Hopkins, Evangeline P. Douris, Laurie Blitzer, Laurie Tisch.

Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and DCA host second seminar,
"Advancing Culture Through Management," at Time Warner Building

On Saturday, April 9, 2005, the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and the Department of Cultural Affairs once again welcomed nearly 200 representatives from non-profit cultural organizations to a seminar entitled "Advancing Culture Through Management" at the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle. This is the second in a series of seminars that aim to improve non-profit management by engaging the field in critical discussion on management and board development issues while offering practical insights about how to manage real life scenarios on both sides of the administrative/board divide.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the first seminar on this same topic, DCA and the Advisory Commission offered this seminar to those organizations who we were unable to accommodate last time. Participants tackled key questions such as: How does the success of a non-profit arts organization depend on the healthy relationship between the organization's staff and those citizens who contribute their skills and financial resources as trustees? How can we better define the relationship between the executive director and the board? What are the myriad reasons why this relationship works in some cases and not in others? What are the characteristics of a healthy, functioning organization? What are the signs of a troubled situation?

The half-day program included an opening address by Michael M. Kaiser, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; a panel discussion featuring executive directors, board members, and funders; and two breakout sessions on board recruitment and by-laws.

The event was a great success, providing non-profit cultural leaders from a wide range of organizations the opportunity to discuss shared experiences with colleagues in the field. The Advisory Commission and DCA are extremely grateful for the extraordinary and diverse group of participants who came out on a Saturday morning to share their thoughts and ideas on this important topic, and to learn about ways in which they can improve management at the institutions they represent.

Our sincere thanks to Time Warner for making this event possible, and the Edward John Noble Foundation, which provided additional support.

To read a transcript of Michael Kaiser's speech,  click here.

Click here for the latest news about the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission.

Read the press release announcing the Commission’s appointment.