Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition

Artists leaders and artist-run groups addressing policy issues that affect artists in Massachusetts

NEFA NAMES CATHY EDWARDS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NEFA logo

NEFA NAMES CATHY EDWARDS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

(Boston, MA) Lawrence J. Simpson, board chair of the New England Foundation for the Arts, announced that Cathy Edwards will join the organization as executive director, beginning late January, 2015.

Ms. Edwards comes to NEFA from the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT, where she has served as director of programming since 2006. She has also served as the artistic director of the Time-Based Art Festival at PICA in Portland, OR. Previously, she was artistic director of Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, and co-director of Movement Research in New York City.

“We are excited to have Cathy bring her thinking, energy and experience to NEFA,” said NEFA board chair Larry Simpson. “She brings deep knowledge about the field and the challenges and opportunities ahead for NEFA, and has a history with the organization via her service as a program advisor and panelist. I want to thank the entire search committee, chaired by board vice chair Andrew Cornell and including interim co-executive directors Laura Paul and Jane Preston, for their service during this time.”

Edwards has served on numerous grant-giving and funding panels in addition to NEFA’s, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Connecticut Culture and Tourism, United States Artists, the Japan Foundation, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and Creative Capital. She serves on the boards of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Movement Research, where she is currently board chair. She holds a BA in Humanities from Yale College.

“I have known NEFA for many years – as a grantee of both national and regional programs, a presenter in New England, and as a program advisor,” noted Edwards. “I will work passionately to advance NEFA’s mission with the dedicated and knowledgeable staff and board at NEFA. The artistic core of today’s creative communities is increasingly fragile, and NEFA stands out by developing funding and advocacy platforms that provide artists with resources to create, and cultural organizations with resources to bring artistic experiences to the public.”

About NEFA
NEFA builds connections among artists, arts organizations, and funders, powering the arts to energize communities in New England, the nation, and the world. NEFA is a nonprofit that operates in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the New England state arts agencies, with additional funding from foundations, corporations, individuals and other government agencies.

NEFA’s work is accomplished through grantmaking, services, and initiatives which strengthen and advance the national arts infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.nefa.org or call 617.951.0010.