New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has announced his arts and culture transition committee, sparking discussions about the composition and representation within the cultural sector. The committee, which will help shape arts policy for the incoming administration, notably appears to lack dedicated music industry representation among its members.
The transition team includes a diverse array of cultural leaders from various institutions across New York City. Among the appointed members are Hiba Abid from the New York Public Library, Elizabeth Alexander from the Mellon Foundation, and Suroosh Alvi from Vice. The committee also features Jessica Baker from Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, and Rocky Bucano from the Hip Hop Museum.
Additional members bring expertise from different cultural sectors, including Gonzalo Casals from the Culture & Arts Policy Institute, Carolyn Concepcion from ARTNOIR, and Colm Dillane from KidSuper. The visual arts are well-represented through Kimberly Drew from Pace Gallery, Atiba Edwards from the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and Kamilah Forbes from the historic Apollo Theatre.
The committee further includes Lisa Gold from the Asian American Arts Alliance, curator and book maker Jenna Hamed, and Kemi Ilesanmi from KG1. Media and contemporary arts representation comes through Wes Jackson from BRIC, Ruba Katrib from MoMA PS1, and Coco Killingsworth from the Cultural Institutions Group.
Theatre and performance arts have significant representation with Mino Lora from The People's Theatre and Patricia McGregor from NY Theatre Workshop. The film industry is represented by Lydia Pilcher from Cine Mosaic, while Hal Rosenbluth brings expertise from Kaufman Astoria Studios. Legacy Russell from The Kitchen and Kenny Savoca from IATSE 161 round out the labor and experimental arts perspectives.
The committee also includes gallery representation through Hannah Traore from Hannah Traore Gallery, leadership strategy expertise from Victoria Rogers, and additional cultural perspectives from Diya Vij of Powerhouse Arts and Dennis Walcott from Queens Library. This broad representation spans libraries, museums, galleries, theatre, film, and various cultural institutions throughout the five boroughs.
