Kim Cullen Named New Executive Director of New York Live Arts

New York Live Arts, New York's dynamic center for dance and the performing arts under the artistic leadership of world-renowned choreographer Bill T. Jones, appoints Kim Cullen as its new Executive Director. Cullen began working for New York Live Arts in 2014 as the Producer of the 2015 Live Ideas festival curated by Laurie Anderson and joined the organization in the summer of 2015 as Interim Executive Director. Prior to her engagement at New York Live Arts, Cullen worked as free-lance producer in New York and Europe and served as Producing Director for Elizabeth Streb. During her tenure at Streb, the Streb Lab for Action Mechanics secured financing from the City of New York to purchase its Williamsburg Brooklyn building.

"We here at New York Live Arts are overjoyed that after a significant period of interim-ship and exploration Kim Cullen has taken on the position of Executive Director," states Bill T. Jones. "During this past year I have had the benefit of witnessing Kim's tremendous strategic thinking, profoundly human managerial style and audacious positivity. These qualities have given me confidence that Kim is the right person for our organization at this time."

"The Board of Directors of New York Live Arts is thrilled to name Kim as our Executive Director," said Richard H. Levy, board chair. "The energy and leadership she has brought to our organization over the past six months as our Interim Executive Director has already had a palpable impact. We look forward to her guiding us forward as we continue to realize Bill T.'s vision of connecting global artists in the field of dance, performance and ideas with audiences seeking engagement and challenge."

A native New Yorker, Cullen opened a movement education facility Art In Motion in North Carolina in 1995 and began her exploration of the idea of a movement-based community facility. In 2001, Cullen moved back to New York City and became the Education Director for the Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre, now Rioult. Concurrently, Cullen founded Young Dance Collective.

In 2002, Cullen developed a collaborative plan for the educational arm of the Streb Lab for Action Mechanics in Williamsburg and opened the Streb School as Director of Education in 2003. In 2004, she became General Manager and in 2006 Producing Director of the company. Cullen negotiated major commissions for the company at the Lincoln Center Festival, the River to River Festival, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Park Avenue Armory and a co-commission by the Mayor of London and the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. During her tenure, the company was subject of the feature film Born to Fly.

Since 1989, Cullen has been devoted to creating cultural "third places," a setting for the creative exchange of ideas, grassroots politics and a community-gathering place outside of the realms of home, school and work. This opportunity for face-to-face dialogue, creative processing and spontaneity is incredibly important to our urban culture in our current cultural climate.

Photo by Maria Baranova