New Leaders Appointed for NYC Cultural Institutions Group

The Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), a coalition of 39 city-funded New York City arts and cultural organizations, has announced a new leadership committee following an election held at the Studio Museum in Harlem on December 9. Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, director and president of the Museum of the City of New York, has been appointed chair of the coalition. Atiba Edwards, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and an incoming member of Zohran Mamdani’s Committee on Arts and Culture, will serve as the executive vice chair. The election also decided on two at-large members and five vice chairs representing each of New York City’s boroughs.

The CIG has historical roots dating back to 1869 when legislation enabled the establishment of the American Museum of Natural History on city-owned land, fostering a new era of public-private partnerships with NYC institutions. Some of its earliest members include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Garden, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Brooklyn Museum.

The responsibilities of the CIG’s chair include overseeing the annual budget, directing advocacy efforts, and representing the group’s members to city officials and the public. This leadership change comes after the CIG expanded in September, adding organizations such as BRIC in Brooklyn and the Bronx Children’s Museum. The CIG was allocated $183 million out of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ $299.6 million budget this year, reflecting a significant $75 million increase.

In a statement provided to Hyperallergic, Wilchfort emphasized the importance of cultural institutions to the vibrancy and imagination of New York City’s communities. She expressed her commitment to fostering a sector that is inclusive and reflective of the city’s diversity. Wilchfort had previously served as the executive vice chair under Coco Killingsworth of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Edwards stated his anticipation of collaborating with Wilchfort and other CIG partners to promote equity and ensure that New Yorkers see their communities represented in the city’s cultural landscape.

Here is the list of the new CIG leadership:

**Chair**
– Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, director and president of the Museum of the City of New York

**Executive Vice Chair**
– Atiba Edwards, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum

**Members-at-large**
– Aziz Isham, Executive Director of the Museum of the Moving Image
– Frances Escano, Associate Vice President of Government Affairs at the New York Hall of Science

**Vice-Chairs**
– Raymond Codrington, Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn)
– Aaron Bouska, New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
– Norah Yahya, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Manhattan)
– Evie Hantzopoulos, Queens Botanical Garden (Queens)
– Jessica Baker Vodoor, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden (Staten Island)