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 at the Studio Museum in Harlem on December 9.
Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, the director and president of the Museum of the City of New York, has been appointed as the chair of the coalition. Atiba Edwards, the president and CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and incoming member of Zohran Mamdani’s Committee on Arts and Culture, will serve as the executive vice chair. Additionally, two at-large members and five vice chairs representing each borough were elected during the process.
The CIG has a rich history dating back to 1869 when state legislation enabled the construction of the American Museum of Natural History on city-owned property, marking the beginning of public-private partnerships with NYC institutions. Early members of the group include prestigious organizations such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Garden, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Brooklyn Museum.
As the chair of the CIG, Wilchfort will oversee the annual budget, lead advocacy efforts, and represent members before city officials and the public. This announcement follows the addition of five new organizations to the coalition in September, including BRIC in Brooklyn and the Bronx Children’s Museum. The CIG received a historic $75 million increase in its budget this year, totaling $183 million out of the $299.6 million allocated to the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).
Wilchfort expressed her commitment to building a cultural sector that is accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity of New York City. She previously served as the executive vice chair under Chair Coco Killingsworth, the vice president of social creative impact at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Edwards emphasized the importance of championing equity, expanding access, and ensuring that every child, family, and neighborhood sees themselves represented in the city’s cultural landscape.
The new CIG leadership includes Stephanie Hill Wilchfort as Chair and Atiba Edwards as Executive Vice Chair. The members-at-large are Aziz Isham, Executive Director of the Museum of the Moving Image, and Frances Escano, Associate Vice President of Government Affairs at the New York Hall of Science. The vice-chairs representing each borough are Raymond Codrington from Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn), Aaron Bouska from New York Botanical Garden (Bronx), Norah Yahya from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Manhattan), Evie Hantzopoulos from Queens Botanical Garden (Queens), and Jessica Baker Vodoor from Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden (Staten Island).
The leadership of the Cultural Institutions Group is poised to continue supporting and promoting the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City, ensuring accessibility, inclusivity, and representation for all communities.
