Craig Peterson Named Director of Abrons Arts Center

Henry Street Settlement has named Craig Peterson as Artistic Director and Deputy Program Officer for the Abrons Arts Center/Visual and Performing Arts division. Peterson will assume his duties on September 6, 2016.

Peterson comes to Henry Street with 25 years of experience in the arts most recently as Director of Programs and Presentation at Gibney Dance in New York. During his tenure there, he built an array of arts programs at the organization and helped facilitate the creation of nearly 100 new works that have been presented on stages across the city. He previously was Director of the Philly Fringe Festival and the Live Arts Brewery, where he championed a range of artists including Young Jean Lee, Lucinda Childs, Romeo Castellucci, Jérôme Bel, Geoff Sobelle, and Pig Iron Theatre Company. Before relocating to Philadelphia, Peterson spent ten years at New York's Dance Theater Workshop, rising from Director of Artist Services to Co-Artistic Director and Senior Producer. At Dance Theater Workshop, he helped build a new performance arts center and helped produce early works by David Lindsay-Abaire, Ronald K. Brown, Lisa Kron, Annie-B Parson, Bill Irwin, and Ain Gordon.

"We're thrilled to bring Craig's leadership and talent to Henry Street to help write the next incredible chapter for the Abrons and the constellation of artists, audiences, and community stakeholders that engage in our work," said David Garza, Executive Director of Henry Street. "Our future in the arts deserves to be as rich and exciting as our venerable history and we're confident Craig can make that happen."

"I believe that the arts are critical to the advancement of cultural citizenship; that education is most transformative when paired with artistic expression; and that social change and understanding is best achieved through creative expression," said Peterson.

"It's clear that Henry Street is deeply invested in the success of its forward thinking arts programming," said Peterson. "The Settlement has a long history of making art and artists a central component of their valuable work in communities. I look forward to being a part of this organization's incredible legacy of social change."

Peterson, a native of New Hampshire, received a bachelor's degree in theater/choreography and psychology from Bard College. He is a member of the Bessies Committee and a board member of the Alliance of Artist Communities and Big Dance Theatre.

He lives in Brooklyn with his husband and their two daughters.

The Abrons Arts Center is the OBIE Award-winning performing and visual arts program of Henry Street Settlement. The Abrons supports the creation and presentation of innovative, multi-disciplinary work; cultivates artists in all stages of their practice with educational programs, mentorships, residencies and commissions; and serves as an intersection of engagement for local, national and international audiences and arts-workers.

Each year the Abrons offers over 250 performances, 12 gallery exhibitions and 30 residencies for performing and studio artists, and 100 different classes in dance, music, theater, and visual art. The Abrons also provides New York City public schools with teaching artists, introducing more than 3,000 students to the arts.