ArtHome is a project of the Fund for the City of New York
For a list of leadership at the Fund for the City of New York, please visit the FCNY website: http://www.fcny.org/fcny/about/staff/
ARTHOME STAFF
Esther Robinson, ArtHome Founder
Esther Robinson has worked on behalf of America's artists for more than 15 years in many capacities, including foundation program officer, television and film producer/director, technology entrepreneur and arts activist.
Before she was 25, Esther produced the national PBS series Alive TV (aka Alive From Off Center). In 1998, Esther co-founded Wavelength Releasing. Wavelength was responsible for the first fully digital film release, executed via satellite to five cities in October 1998. Partnering with esteemed companies such as CYBERSTAR –(a division of LORAL), Texas Instruments, The Independent Film Channel, and others; its projects were profiled in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Variety, and on CNN financial News.
From 1999-2006, Esther was the Director of Film/Video and Performing Arts for the Creative Capital Foundation, and was one of the principal architects of their innovative grant-making system. Her close collaboration nationally with funders and artists and her annual adjudication of thousands of grant proposals (of which only two dozen would see funding), led her to question whether traditional grantmaking was the only way to support the culture sector in America. Recognizing the crucial role that financial solvency and home ownership played in the lives of successful artists, Esther became convinced that asset building and financial literacy should be vital components of a new support system for the arts. This led to the founding of ArtHome.
Robinson is also an award-winning filmmaker/producer (with a film and television degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts). Chosen as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2006, her critically acclaimed directorial debut A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and The Warhol Factory took top prizes at The Berlin, Tribeca and Chicago film festivals; is currently on The Sundance Channel, Netflix and I-tunes. She is also currently a board member of Women Make Movies and Co-Chair of the Cinema Eye Honors.
Elaine Tin Nyo, Project and Outreach Manager
Elaine Tin Nyo has over 25 years of experience in arts production, administration and outreach including non-profit gallery management, workspace/residency administration and educational and career-development workshop programming, at institutions such as White Columns, Creative Capital, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. She is also conceptual artist whose work spans visual, performance and culinary arts.
Michelle Proffit, Programs Associate
Michelle Proffit has worked in both the non-profit sector and within arts management for over ten years. From working as Co-Director of Nodutdol for Korean Community Development on international social justice issues to assisting at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop within New York City, she continually strives to bring the arts and activism together. Graduating with Departmental Honors and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Parson's School of Design, she is also a practicing artist and musician.
Lyz Crane, Communications Associate
Lyz Crane is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and serves on the board of the Student Network Exploring Arts and Culture (SNEAC). Previously, Crane served as the Director of Program Development and the Program Manager of the Shifting Sands Initiative/Douglas Redd Fellowship at Partners for Livable Communities, where she was also involved in providing technical assistance to cities, developing publications, and speaking at conferences nationally and internationally. Crane graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a BA in Urban Studies and Sociology and in 2009 was named a ‘Next American Vanguard’ by urban affairs magazine Next American City.
ARTHOME BOARD OF ADVISORS
Tom Borrup - Principal of Creative Community Builders; community and cultural development consultant exploring intersections between culture and community building and the creation of civic dialogue and civic space, particularly in communities experiencing demographic shifts.
Grisha Coleman - native of New York City, works as a composer, performer and choreographer. She recently joined the faculty as Professor of Movement, Computation and Digital Media in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU).
Miguel Garcia - Philanthropy Consultant. Former Program Officer, Community and Resource Development, The Ford Foundation
Wendy Holmes - Vice President of Resource Development, ArtSpace
Colleen Keegan - partner in Keegan Fowler Companies, an equity investment and consulting firm specialized in providing strategic planning and business affairs services for companies in the communications and entertainment industries.*
Susan Lee - EA, CFP, tax consultant and financial planner specializing in freelancers and artists and the host and producer of "You and Your Money" on WBAI-FM.*
Roy Priest - former President and CEO of the National Congress for Community Economic Development (the nation’s trade association representing more than 4,300 community development corporations nationwide), and former Director of Economic Development of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Marianna S. Schaffer - current Director of Programs for the David Rockefeller Fund overseeing its Arts, Criminal Justice, Environment, and Community portfolios. She holds an MA in International Education from New York University and has studied theater, dance, and graphic design. She has recently produced two books for publication.
ADDITIONAL CONSULTANTS
Caron Atlas – Freelance consultant working to strengthen intersections between community-based arts, policymaking, and social change
Guy Buckles – Founder ArtBuilding, former Co-Director Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, Director of Artopolis Development
Dave Hoyer- B.A., M.A., CFP(R); adjunct assistant professor of financial planning New York University. Registered investment advisor, Hoyer Financial Services*
Aaron Landsman- Curriculum Co-Developer; arts administrator, fundraiser, co-developer of the artist-centered professional development workshop with The Creative Capital Foundation and theater artist living in Brooklyn.*
Ruby Lerner - Chief Executive Officer/President, The Creative Capital Foundation
*CreativeMoney Curriculum Advisors
