STAFF
Lucy Sexton
Executive Director
Lucy Sexton (she/her) is a Brooklyn born producer, administrator, and performing artist who has worked in the fields of dance, performance, film, and public advocacy. She has served as Executive Director of the NY Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, building them for the first time into an independent organization. From 2013-16 she worked as a Consulting Associate Artistic Director of the planned performing arts center at the World Trade Center, conducting field-wide outreach and developing the center’s artistic mission and plan. As a dance artist she works with Anne Iobst creating and performing the dance performance duo DANCENOISE which was founded in 1983, had a retrospective exhibit and performance at the Whitney Museum in 2015, and premiered a new piece at NY Live Arts in 2018. She has also directed and dramaturged plays by Spalding Gray, Tom Murrin, Nora Burns, and Heather Litteer; and produced documentaries by Charles Atlas for the BBC and Arte. | lucy@ny4ca.org
photo credit: AK47 Division
Peter Alfred Elizalde
Director of Programs and Artist Advocacy
Peter Alfred Elizalde (they/them) is an interdisciplinary performance artist, dancer, choreographer, arts administrator and nightlife aficionado and professional currently residing in unceded Lenape-Canarsie territory known as Brooklyn, NY. They have performed under the direction of choreographers Ljuba Castot and John Alix and have appeared on stage and on camera with artists such as Kay Day, Honey Davenport and the Haus of Quench. They look forward to being able to serve the cultural sector in this capacity and to bringing the many intersections of their work, life, and identity to New Yorkers for Culture and Arts | peter@ny4ca.org
photo credit: Michelle Mor @kosher_butch
Kneaku Ashae
Director Membership and Communications
Kneaku Williams (they/them) is a Director, Writer and DJ, affectionately known as Sp3cialK, with an expansive background in film production, live performance, project coordination, and arts administration with experience spanning both independent and institutional settings. They hold a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media & Video Production and Theatre Arts, which equips them to bring a multidisciplinary approach to their work. Having navigated the fast-paced arts landscape of NYC for over a decade, Kneaku possesses a wealth of knowledge and skills to support and uplift the nonprofit arts sector. Explore their website!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025
Chair
Christopher Bloodworth, The Field
Treasurer
April Drummond, NY Hall of Science
Secretary
Amy Andrieux, MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts)
Board Members
Ted Berger, NY Creates, Joan Mitchell Foundation
Jacqueline Davis, OneShared.World, Brademas Center NYC Council
Joan Firestone, Arts activist, philanthropist, Board Member En Garde Arts
John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society
Christopher Durosinmi, Wildlife Conservation Society
Lorna Harris, Visionary GPS consulting
Cathy Hung, NYC Children’s Theater
Ellen Leszynski, BAM
Sheila Lewandowski, The Chocolate Factory Theater
Mike Marinello, JP Morgan Chase
Eve Moros Ortega, Lord Cultural Resources
Daisy Rodriguez, Wildlife Conservation Society
Shadawn Smith, Billie Holiday Theatre/Bed Stuy Restoration