NYU Steinhardt Arts Administration Programs

philanthropy

Christine Yoon – Wallace Foundation – PAA ’08

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Headshot of Christine YoonSpeaker
MA Performing Arts Administration, 2008
Senior Program Officer, Wallace Foundation

Christine Yoon joined the Wallace Foundation in November 2013 as a program officer in arts, and was named senior program officer in November 2017. She brings to the role experience in philanthropy, nonprofit arts administration and for-profit business development. Yoon served for six years as manager of philanthropy at American Express, where she focused on two funding priorities: developing emerging nonprofit leaders and preserving historic places.

She was also the assistant to the chief financial and administrative officer at the New York Philharmonic, and served in a variety of strategic marketing and business development roles on the business side of American Express.

Yoon holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in performing arts administration from the Steinhardt School at New York University. She is an alumna of Coro’s Leadership New York program.​ Yoon volunteers as co-chair of New York Grantmakers in the Arts, co-chair of the New York chapter of Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy and locally in her community.

Session Description – The Future of Philanthropy in the Arts

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Representing foundations, nonprofit cultural organizations, government, and corporations, PAA and VAA alumni will join Karen Brooks Hopkins in discussing the challenges and opportunities currently facing philanthropy and the arts.

Speakers

  • Karen Brooks Hopkins, President Emerita Brooklyn Academy of Music
  • Kate Fox (VAA ’09), Associate Arts Program Specialist, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
  • Kris Lewis (VAA ’07), Director of Development, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles
  • Christine Yoon (PAA ’08), Senior Program Officer, Arts, Wallace Foundation

Moderator

  • Tim McClimon, NYU Performing Arts Administration Adjunct Faculty

Kris Lewis – Fowler Museum at UCLA – VAA ’07

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Headshot of Kris LewisSpeaker
MA Visual Arts Administration, 2007
Director of Development, Fowler Museum UCLA

Since 2017, Kris has been the Director of Development at the Fowler Museum at UCLA in Los Angeles, where she implements all strategic fundraising efforts. She was previously the Director of Government and Foundation Relations at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and prior to that, Associate Director of Development at the Museum of Contemporary Art, LA (MOCA). She also held fundraising positions at Otis College of Art and Design, LA and The Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. Kris has been a fundraising and arts business consultant for 14 years, most notably, launching the Martha Alf Foundation (2020); implementing a fundraising department at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark (2015); and co-producing an award-winning, large-scale public art project with renowned artists Cindy Sherman, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, and Louise Lawler (2008). Since 2015, Kris has been an annual visiting speaker at New York University for the Master’s Visual Arts Administration program.

Karen Brooks Hopkins – Brooklyn Academy of Music

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Headshot of Karen Brooks HopkinsKeynote Speaker
President Emerita Brooklyn Academy of MusicAuthor of the forthcoming book, “BAM – And then it Hit Me” to be published by Powerhouse Books

Karen is a Board member and Senior Advisor to the Onassis Foundation for the Public Benefit. She is also the Nasher Haemisegger Fellow at SMU DataArts located at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Trust of Governors Island and a Board member of the Jerome L. Greene Foundation.

Karen was an employee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (“BAM”) for 36 years, serving as its President from 1999 until her retirement in 2015 when she was designated President Emerita.

From 2009 – 2010, she was selected by the New York State Assembly to represent Brooklyn on the State Board of Regents.

From 2015-2017, Karen served as the inaugural Senior Fellow in Residence at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Karen was awarded honorary degrees from St. Francis College, Long Island University and Pratt Institute and, in 2019, she received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Columbia University. She has also received several international honors including the King Olav Medal from Norway, the Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star from Sweden. During her tenure as President of BAM, the institution was awarded the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.

In 2013, Karen was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York by Crain’s New York Business. She was also honored as a member of the first Crain’s Hall of Fame in 2015.

Karen is the author of Successful Fundraising for Arts and Culture Organizations, currently in its 2nd edition. In 2021, her memoir of her years at BAM will be published by powerHouse Books.

Photo credit: Bob Klein

BAM… and Then it Hit Me

Book cover of BAM and then it hit me.About the Book

Karen Brooks Hopkins’ memoir of her 36 years at BAM – The Brooklyn Academy of Music, America’s oldest performing arts center, is a wild ride! BAM… and Then it Hit Me is filled with stories and photographs of unlikely theatrical productions, entertaining and sometimes difficult celebrities, guidance
on fundraising and leadership, the glory of the arts and the evolution of Brooklyn, the coolest neighborhood on the planet.

ENTERTAINING AND INSPIRING: A page-turning read offering an exclusive look behind the scenes of the world-famous cultural center. Perfect for any lover of the performing arts, this book is filled with stories about artists and icons, such as Princess Diana, Peter Brook, Ingmar Bergman, Chuck Davis,
Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Pina Bausch, LL Cool J, John Turturro, Rufus Wainwright, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones and Paul Simon among others.

AND at the same time, it is an inspiring and constructive read for any not-for-profit organization or your local arts center detailing key strategies for institutional success. The book offers hands-on practical advice on topics ranging from fundraising and leadership to how to best manage complex organizations.

Kate Fox – NYC Department of Cultural Affairs – VAA ’09

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Headshot of Katherine FoxSpeaker
MA Visual Arts Administration, 2009
Associate Arts Program Specialist, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

Kate Fox is a seasoned fundraiser and grantmaker. She currently works for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Programs Unit, overseeing a funding portfolio of over 150 NYC-based cultural organizations as well as related grant panels, logistics, and oversight of the Cultural Development Fund, which awards $70M in grants to 1,100 organizations each year. Over the past 12 years, Kate has also worked in fundraising for New York cultural organizations including the Bronx Museum of the Arts, Children’s Museum of the Arts, and Socrates Sculpture Park, among others. Her areas of focus include visual arts, arts education, and equitable practices.

Dorian Branea – Romanian Cultural Institute in New York

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Headshot of Dorian BraneaSpeaker
Director, Romanian Cultural Institute in New York
President, European Union National Institutes for Culture, New York

Dorian Branea, cultural diplomat and author. Read English at the Western University of Timișoara, followed by graduate work in International Relations at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Negotiation at Oxford University’s Said Business School. Ph.D. in English and American Studies. Fellow of Central European University (2003-2004). Founding director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw (2006-2010) and director, between 2010 and 2018, of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London. President of EUNIC London (the association of EU cultural institutes, 2012-2014). From august 2018, director of Romanian Cultural Institute in New York and from 2021, President of EUNIC New York. Awarded the Order of Merit for Cultural Promotion in the rank of Knight by the President of Romania in 2018. Author of The United States of Romanians (Humanitas, 2016).

Timothy J. McClimon – NYU Adjunct Faculty

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Headshot of Timothy McClimonModerator
Adjunct Faculty, Performing Arts Administration at NYU Steinhardt
President, The Celeste Group

Timothy J. McClimon is the principal consultant for The Celeste Group, which specializes in corporate social responsibility and nonprofit management strategies and programs. From 2006-2021, Tim was President of the American Express Foundation and Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, at the American Express Company where he led all of the company’s global responsibility, philanthropy, sustainability, and employee engagement programs. He is also the former Executive Director of the AT&T Foundation and Second Stage Theater, and practiced law with nonprofit organizations as clients. Tim is recognized as a subject-matter expert in corporate social responsibility, leadership development, nonprofit management, and arts administration through numerous publications, speeches, and media interviews. He is a Forbes magazine contributor on leadership and serves as an ESG Fellow at The Conference Board.