NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — The iconic Lincoln Center announced the hire of Shanta Thake as the institution’s new Chief Artistic Officer.
In her new role, Thake will oversee Lincoln Center’s artistic strategy, and expand relationships with its constituent organizations as well more broadly with the the city’s arts community.
Prior to being tapped for her new role at Lincoln Center, Thake served as the Associate Artistic Director of the Public Theater, where she oversaw initiatives such as Public Works, Mobile Unit, Under the Radar, Joe’s Pub, the Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Public Forum.
In addition, she is the co-director of GlobalFEST, North America’s world music festival and a non-profit organization, whose mission is to encourage public exchange and broaden the audience for world music. Her efforts in this role earned Thake the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence.
Thake will step into the role being vacated by longtime Artistic Director Jane Moss, who held the post for more than a quarter of a century before she stepped down in 2020.
“I’m so grateful to the Board of Directors and leadership for their support as I enter this role,” said Shanta Thake, Incoming Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “I moved to New York almost twenty years ago to the day, with big ideas about what was possible—this is really the culmination of a lifetime of deep love of New York’s cultural diversity, the palpable excitement and critical importance of sharing a cultural experience together. I look forward to building upon the tremendous legacy of Jane Moss, while undergoing a period of listening and discovery. I’m confident that together we can help elevate all the greatest parts of this institution and build upon them even further—growing a Lincoln Center where all New Yorkers feel welcome no matter your background and where artists can shine and develop their craft in innovative and exciting new directions.”
“As co-chair of the search team for our Chief Artistic Officer, I was so impressed with Shanta’s focus on the plurality and democracy of art—her wide and deep understanding of genres and styles, and her profound knowledge and respect for artists across traditions and backgrounds,” said Clara Wu Tsai, Founder of the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation and co-chair of the search committee. “Her experience comes first from a deep passion for the arts as a tool for communication and mutual understanding; I’m excited to welcome her to Lincoln Center.”
“Shanta Thake has made an extraordinary career celebrating and cultivating diverse talent from across the city and the world, and we are so pleased to count her as our Chief Artistic Officer,” added Henry Timms, President & CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.“She will be an exceptional ambassador for Lincoln Center and the arts, the keystone in a leadership team that will shepherd Lincoln Center into a new era—as a hub for culture and civic life for all of New York and a symbol of the excellence and resilience of our city.”
