Americans for the Arts Reveals New Board of Directors

Americans for the Arts has announced new leadership for its Board of Directors, naming Kristina Newman-Scott as Chair, alongside Marc Folk as Vice Chair, Theo Edmonds as Secretary, and Robert Newman III as Treasurer. The appointments bring together a diverse group of leaders across philanthropy, arts administration, and creative entrepreneurship to help guide the organization at a pivotal moment for the arts and culture sector nationwide.

“Kristina and this exceptional group of leaders bring a powerful combination of vision, experience, and commitment to the field,” said Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts. “At a time when the arts are both under pressure and full of possibility, their leadership will help us champion policies, investments, and partnerships that ensure artists and cultural organizations can thrive in every community.”

“Arts and culture are essential civic infrastructure, helping to shape how communities connect, find their voice, and thrive,” said incoming AFTA Board Chair Kristina Newman-Scott. “They create space for dialogue and spark the imagination that allows people to see themselves as agents of their own future. I’m honored to work alongside my fellow board members and the Americans for the Arts team to expand access and strengthen the role of the arts in communities across the country.”

Kristina Newman-Scott is an award-winning leader with more than two decades of experience working across arts, culture, and media. As Vice President for Arts at Knight Foundation, she oversees a portfolio which has invested more than $495 million in the arts since 2005, focused on advancing the arts as a core part of civic life and a driver of strong, thriving communities.

She previously served as the inaugural Executive Director of The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at New York Public Radio/WNYC, where she reshaped its live and multi-platform programming. Before that, she was President of BRIC, one of Brooklyn’s leading arts and media institutions, and Director of Culture for the State of Connecticut.

Her leadership has been widely recognized, including honors such as City & State New York’s Telecommunications Power 50, the Observer’s Arts Power 50, and Next City’s Urban Vanguard. She is a recipient of the Selina Roberts Ottum Award from Americans for the Arts and holds an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of New Haven, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. 

Also newly elected to AFTA’s Board’s Executive Committee are: Vice Chair Marc Folk, President and CEO of The Arts Commission in Toledo, Ohio, who is a nationally recognized arts leader with more than three decades of experience advancing arts, culture, and community development; Secretary Theo Edmonds, Creative Executive in Residence at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), who is a Culture Futurist, artist, and systems innovator with more than 30 years of leadership at the intersection of arts, human health science, and technology and leads the development of the WREN Institute, dedicated to advancing human primacy as culture evolves with artificial intelligence; and Treasurer Robert Newman III, Director and Lead Curator of Artfullwalls Fine Art Gallery in Harlem, who is a gallery director, curator, visual artist, and cultural strategist. He previously served as an Assistant Vice President at Neuberger Berman in Financial Planning & Analysis and earlier worked at Morgan Stanley in Financial Reporting.

Kristina Newman-Scott succeeds Edgar Smith as chair of the Americans for the Arts board. During his two-plus-year term, Edgar helped strengthen the organization’s national advocacy efforts and guide key leadership transitions while continuing to elevate the role of the arts as essential across the country.

“Leading Americans for the Arts as Chair has been a true privilege,” said outgoing Board Chair Edgar Smith. “Kristina brings an extraordinary depth of experience, vision, and commitment to this work, and I have full confidence in her leadership as she guides the organization into its next chapter.”

As the nation’s leading nonprofit for advancing the arts, Americans for the Arts works to strengthen the cultural infrastructure that supports artists and organizations. These new board leaders will play a critical role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction, deepening its national advocacy efforts, and ensuring the arts remain a central driver of economic vitality and civic life.

Together, the new board leadership reflects Americans for the Arts’ commitment to advancing a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient arts ecosystem, one that recognizes the arts as essential civic infrastructure and a cornerstone of thriving communities.