2025 Power Players in Arts & Culture

Rafael Sánchez is the executive artistic director at Repertorio Español. Rafael possesses a B.A. in drama from the University of Kent, an M.A. in performing arts from the University Rey Juan Carlos, and he also studied graduate courses in comparative literature and Hispanic studies and Literature at the University of Puerto Rico. He currently teaches at Queens College. He is also a director and performing artist, having acted in and/or produced over 50 works.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
I would attend anything that is happening at PAC. Not only is the new space amazing, but also their local and international programming is blooming despite being a relatively new organization already thriving. Also, I am visiting two or three times a week off-Broadway theatres, and I can´t explain how powerful the work of all these wonderful organizations is. And, of course, anything presented by our friends of Alianza de Teatros Latinos.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Policymakers have the responsibility of supporting legacy and new organizations providing culture and education to our communities. The impact of our work literally changes lives, from elevating our stories to improving mental health. We see neighbors, students, immigrants, and whole families coming together to enjoy, heal, and celebrate their roots. Arts, culture, and theatre are what make the landscape of this city so exciting, especially during challenging times.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
New York and its culture have survived the most challenging times in the last decades, like the financial crisis of 2008, the attacks on 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, we survive because there is nothing that can substitute live entertainment and culture. These spaces are where we come together and hold each other. There is always more to do, but New York is New York because of its nurturing culture and arts.

New York State Senator Jose M. Serrano, a lifelong South Bronx resident, represents the 29th Senate District, which covers neighborhoods in the Bronx and Manhattan. He is the chair of the Senate Majority Conference and is the chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 2004, and prior to that, he served three years in the New York City Council.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
New York is considered the world’s cultural capital and is home to countless destinations and attractions – it’s nearly impossible to think of just one. I’m fortunate to live in a city where you never lack cultural and artistic experiences. As the senator representing the 29th Senate District and chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, I’m honored to represent many cultural organizations and institutions, that bring so much to our cultural landscape.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Support of the arts means more than being a patron; it means understanding the transformative impact the arts have on almost every aspect of our society and lives. As chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, I see remarkable collaboration between arts groups and communities, which policymakers can enhance by advocating for increased arts funding. New Yorkers can continue to be vocal supporters and advocates for local artists and organizations.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
Arts in New York are more impactful than they’ve ever been. In our post-pandemic world, the arts and culture drive our economic and emotional recovery. Tourism continues to rebound, and more people want to experience all New York has to offer. New York will continue to be the world’s cultural capital by supporting diverse artistic expressions, encouraging inclusivity in the arts, and supporting local talent.

Lucy Sexton is the executive director of the cultural advocacy coalition New Yorkers for Culture & Arts. Prior to that, she served as executive director of the NY Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, and served as a consulting associate artistic director for the PAC at the World Trade Center. She is co-creator of the renowned dance performance duo DANCENOISE, directs theater, and has produced several documentaries directed by Charles Atlas for BBC and Arté. 

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
First by attending shows and exhibits! The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs supports 1100 cultural organizations across the city, and the borough arts councils support hundreds more. This is the pipeline for the entire creative economy, which generates $110B in economic activity – a full 13% of our economy! Cultural centers keep our neighborhoods happier, healthier, safer, and better educated. Keep this in mind when voting for our city’s leaders. Tell them you support #Culture4All. 

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
We are at a turning point. For the past decade, work generated in NYC has dominated Broadway. American dance companies coming out of NY have set the course of dance worldwide, from modern dance to hip hop. But as the city becomes less affordable, as relief ends while audiences are still not fully back, and as federal cuts affect public and private funding, theaters are closing and the city’s fragile ecosystem is struggling.

Linda Shelton is a renowned arts leader with over 30 years in dance administration. Formerly with The Joffrey Ballet and Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation, she’s managed major international tours and teaches at NYU. Shelton has served on prominent boards and arts panels and received numerous honors, including France’s Order of Arts and Letters. A champion for diversity and social justice, she was appointed to NYC’s Live Performance Industry Council in 2023.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
This month, I’m especially excited for Ayodele Casel’s REMIX at The Joyce—her virtuosic tap, rich with tradition and innovation, is always a joy. Ayodele’s voice is singular: bold, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in community. I’m also hoping to catch Buena Vista Social Club, which started at our neighbor, The Atlantic, and transferred to Broadway. With choreography by friends Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado, it’s a vibrant, exhilarating tribute to music, dance, and Cuban culture.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Support can mean attending performances, spreading the word, advocating for arts funding, and recognizing the arts as vital to the city’s fabric. Policymakers play a key role by ensuring stable funding and affordable creative spaces. That’s why The Joyce is excited to be renovating a newly acquired 60,000-square-foot building in the East Village – The Joyce’s New York Center for Dance and Creativity – which will provide much-needed rehearsal studios and creation space for NYC’s vibrant dance community.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
Because of the extraordinary artists who call this city home. In 2025, I see a powerful commitment to innovation, cultural equity, and storytelling that reflects our diverse communities. With The Joyce’s New York Center for Dance & Creativity underway, we’re helping ensure artists have the space to create, rehearse, and thrive. That investment in infrastructure – paired with the passion of our audiences – is what keeps New York’s cultural heart beating strong and its creative spirit alive.

Emily Shooltz is the artistic director of Signature Theatre in New York City. An experienced creative producer, she has spent her career identifying, cultivating and mentoring theater artists. She served 14 years as the associate artistic director at Ars Nova, where she worked to grow the company from a fledgling nonprofit to New York City’s premier hub for emerging artists. Emily holds an MFA in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the Yale School of Drama.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
Bess Wohl’s new play LIBERATION at the Roundabout. It’s a brilliant, insightful, surprising, heartbreaking and cathartic piece of writing. Plus it’s beautifully acted by an incredible ensemble in Whitney White’s excellent production.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Remember that great art is happening in small spaces; New York City’s culture is more than just Broadway and Madison Square Garden. Go see something off the beaten path, try something new, take a chance. There’s so much here that you can’t stream from your couch. For policymakers, remember that it’s not just the commercial sector that drives the cultural economy in the city. Not-for-profits contribute mightily to the landscape and they continue to struggle.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
New York City has become wildly inhospitable to artists. Living here is prohibitively expensive, many venues and development organizations have closed, and funding has contracted. Art always finds a way and there will always be great art here, but without a conscious cultivation of new talent and rigorous support for the institutions bringing forward-thinking models and work into the world, we will see a flattening of the landscape into solely profit-driven, commercially minded models.

James S. Snyder was appointed Helen Goldsmith Menschel director of The Jewish Museum in New York in 2023, after serving from 2019 to 2023 as executive chairman of The Jerusalem Foundation. Snyder is recognized for his transformative 22-year tenure from 1997 to 2018 as the Israel Museum’s Anne and Jerome Fisher director, where he led the Museum through the most dramatic period of growth since its founding and secured its stature as one of the world’s most foremost museums. Prior to his appointment at the Israel Museum, Snyder held several positions at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month (April), what would it be and why?
One of the most anticipated cultural events of the season is the reopening of The Frick Collection, and I am eager to explore how the Frick will be using its iconic setting as the backdrop for presenting and interpreting its stunning collections. We too at the Jewish Museum are currently engaged with our own mission-critical transformation, re-interpreting our 3rd and 4th Floors of our own iconic setting to tell stories about 3,500 years of Jewish world culture in the global diaspora and also to demonstrate new ways for using our collections for teaching and learning – all the more important in these times.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city? 
The potential of arts and culture to forge pathways to brighter times ahead through conversation and engagement – being counterpoint to all that we are experiencing today – could not be more important. New York City and its policymakers need to continue to endorse and support programming in the arts in every possible way and with this goal in mind. And the public can show its support through gestures big and small – and most importantly by showing up in robust numbers to attend exhibitions, performances, and cultural events of all kinds that underscore the unique nature of the New York experience.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025? 
New York City’s cultural landscape is doing its best to maintain its unparalleled stature. In our museum sector, we are seeing many major transformations – from the Frick’s renewal, to the reinstallation of the Met’s Rockefeller Wing, the new Studio Museum, and our own renewed collection galleries. For each of us, these initiatives demonstrate the commitment of our leadership and our professional teams to serve our constituencies and to advance cultural engagement and understanding among all of those who live here with us and who come to New York to experience its magic.

As commissioner, Pat Swinney Kaufman oversees the agency’s mission to support and strengthen NYC’s creative sectors, including film & TV, music, theatre and digital games, and make them accessible to all New Yorkers.  Kaufman brings to the job 19 years of experience working at the State level to support production. Since becoming commissioner in 2023, she’s been named to Variety’s New York Women’s Impact Report, and City & State’s Art & Culture Power 100 list.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
May 9 at Washington Square Park and May 10 at the Sunset Park Central Lawn, New Yorkers can grab a blanket and attend outdoor screenings of student films, part of the NYC Public School Film Festival. The professional caliber of these films speak to the incredible talent and promise of these kids as the city’s next generation of filmmakers. This is a family-friendly event that showcases the incredible diversity of our public school system.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Our office is proud of the city’s efforts aimed at listening to the needs of NYC’s artists and creatives. We have hosted roundtables and panels with producers that encourage filming in NYC; created the Live Performance Industry Council to discuss making theatre more accessible; and commissioned economic reports highlighting the value of our entertainment industries as job creators. We encourage New Yorkers to enjoy their free time at the theatre, festivals and movies!

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
We make filming in NYC easier, which brings our iconic landscapes to screens around the world and encourages people to visit, work and live here. Our city’s unique ecosystem as a music capital (New York Music Month in June!), theatre capital (Broadway and off-Broadway!), film capital (Made in NY awards June 16!) and digital games capital (Summer of Games!), means our city’s legacy is alive and well as we celebrate our 400th anniversary.

Sally Tallant is the president and executive director of the Queens Museum, New York. She was previously the director of Liverpool Biennial from 2011-2019. From 2001-2011 she was head of programmes at the Serpentine Gallery, London. She is a regular contributor to conferences nationally and internationally. In 2018 she was awarded an OBE for services to the Arts in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
Christine Sun Kim at the Whitney Museum – this is an important show foregrounding Deaf culture and should not be missed.

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Ensure that the diversity of organizations in NY is thriving. Maintain investment and ensure it increases with inflation.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
Still leading!

Bernard Telsey is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the not-for-profit off-Broadway, MCC Theater. He is also the founder of the casting office, The Telsey Office, which casts for film, Broadway, and off-Broadway.

If you could attend any event, show, or exhibit in the city this month, what would it be and why?
The Met Gala

How can policymakers and everyday New Yorkers support arts and culture within the city?
Policymakers need to help raise awareness of off-Broadway theaters across the city (especially not-for-profit theaters) as they are a breeding ground for new plays and musicals. It’s also an affordable alternative for the theater-goer who wants to see quality storytellers and performers live. In fact, many of the Broadway shows that we love started out on an off-Broadway stage and later transferred to Broadway such as, Oh Mary!, Hell’s Kitchen, Hamilton, and many more.

New York has historically been considered the culture capital of the world. How do you feel the city upholds this legacy in 2025?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt that I never have enough time to experience all of the culture New York has to offer (and that’s not from a lack of trying). It’s due to the fresh, passionate talent from all over the world that travels here to practice, study, and create.

Jennifer Ashley Tepper is the creative and programming director of 54 Below and conceiver of The Jonathan Larson Project. She has authored Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy that the History Books Left Out and The Untold Stories of Broadway book series. She was a historian consultant on the tick, tick… BOOM! movie, producer of the Broadway musical Be More Chill, and co-creator of the Bistro Award-winning concert series If It Only Even Runs A Minute.