NY-Based Arts Non-Profit DecadesOut Welcomes Erwin Maas to Advisory Board

DecadesOut, Inc. (www.decadesout.org), a non-profit organization that develops and produces programs that examine the intersection of the arts and science, has named theater director, educator and international arts advocate Erwin Maas as the newest member of its Advisory Board.

Originally from the Netherlands and based in New York, Maas has a broad range of global experience in the arts and education. He is artistic director of the International Society for Performing Arts (ISPA), artistic associate and director of the Fellowship Program for the International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), co-founding director of the Pan-African Creative Exchange (PACE), and programming director for the Off-Broadway Origin Theatre Company.

He is currently an adjunct professor at CUNY Brooklyn College's MFA Performance & Interactive Media Arts Program (PIMA), is a core member of Theater Without Borders, a member of the Netherland-America Foundation Cultural Committee, and serves on the advisory board of Brooklyn's ISSUE Project Room. He also shared the position of director of performing arts for the Cultural Department of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Consulates in the US - Dutch Culture USA - from 2010 to 2014.

Maas frequently serves as facilitator, workshop leader, moderator and speaker for international cultural organizations, festivals, universities, congresses and think tanks. He was a Fulbright Scholar for his MFA in Theatre Directing at Columbia University School of the Arts, holds a MA in Drama Teaching and BFA in Directing & Acting from the Academy of Dramatic Arts Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and a MA in Media Arts and Production/Documentary Filmmaking from the University of Technology Sydney - Australia.

"It's exciting to have input from someone of Erwin's stature," said Frank Kuzler, executive director, DecadesOut, who cofounded the Gowanus-based organization in 2009 with his wife Jennifer Larkin Kuzler. "He provides an invaluable combination of artistic sensibility and experience in the global arts and education worlds, and we're confident he will play an important role in shaping and building DecadesOut in the years to come."

Maas joins the group's Advisory Board consisting of television producer and educator Darren Campo, filmmaker Whitney Hamilton, event producer Shaunna Harry and bio-artist Joana Ricou. DecadesOut's Board of Directors is made up of Jan Rozenveld, managing director, Ace Hotel, New York, chef Sue Torres and producer/cinematographer PatRick Sullivan.

DecadesOut, a New York State non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status, takes its name from the inspiring words of President John F. Kennedy, who in 1961 said "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth."

The mission of the non-profit organization is to raise public awareness of the cultural impact between science and humanity and transform the discourse between them through an artistic platform. The group also looks to explore related issues that speak to our existence in this world, and help artist's share perceptions of our life on earth that may have been otherwise hidden.

DecadesOut develops and produces works of fiction and nonfiction of the highest artistic standards in the disciplines of theater, film, video, literature and the visual arts. International in scope, the group works with artists from diverse backgrounds to most fully appreciate global viewpoints. Each program builds on the strength and experience of a dedicated staff, as well as the professional relationships established throughout their careers. For more information about DecadesOut, visit www.decadesout.org.

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