Mission

We believe in artists and their essential role in our society.

 

History

In 2003, the Urban Institute conducted a study, which revealed that 96% of Americans valued art in their lives, while only 27% valued artists.* Motivated by the study and in response to the NEA’s severe budget cuts, four inspiring leaders of the Ford, Rockefeller, Rasmuson, and Prudential Foundations spearheaded the launch of an organization to illuminate the value of artists to American society and address their economic challenges. The organization was originally established in Los Angeles by founding CEO Katharine DeShaw in 2006, and then moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2014 under the leadership of Carolina García Jayaram. During Deana Haggag’s tenure as President and CEO, from 2017 until 2021, USA expanded its Fellowship award program, launching the Berresford Prize, and developing multi-year partnerships with foundations and other nonprofits to advance support for individual artists and the field. In 2021, Judilee Reed became President and CEO, furthering USA’s commitment to building and strengthening artist support networks.

Since our founding, we have awarded more than 800 artists and cultural practitioners with over $38.5 million of direct support through the USA Fellowship. Recognizing the country’s most compelling artists in all disciplines including Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing. With this unrestricted award, recipients decide for themselves how to best use the money—whether it is creating new work, paying rent, reducing debt, getting healthcare, or supporting their families. 

Most recently, USA spearheaded Artist Relief, a $20 million emergency initiative to support artists facing dire financial circumstances due to COVID-19. Organized by a multi-disciplinary coalition of nonprofit individual artist funders, Artist Relief provided emergency grants to artists practicing across ten disciplines and in nearly every state and US territory starting in April 2020, distributing $5,000 grants for a total of more than $20,000,000.

To make this work possible, we actively fundraise each year and receive support from a broad range of philanthropic foundations, companies, and individuals committed to cultivating contemporary culture in the United States. Additionally, we work annually with select nominators, panelists, and USA’s Board of Trustees to determine each year’s class of awardees. It is through the intersection of these relationships, and in the spirit of collaboration, that we are honored to support the country’s most compelling artists and cultural practitioners.

*From “Investing in Creativity: A Study for the Support Structure for U.S. Artists,” 2003.
   

Staff

Ezra
Benus

Disability Futures Manager
He // Him // His or They // Them // Theirs
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Ezra is an artist, educator, and curator, and the Disability Futures Manager at USA. Before joining the USA team, Benus was an Erich Fromm Fellow at Paideia Institute in Stockholm and the first Access and Adult Learning Fellow in the education department at the Brooklyn Museum. He is a born and raised New Yorker (from Brooklyn and the Bronx) and received degrees in studio art and Jewish studies from CUNY Hunter College. Ezra’s own artistic practice taps into embedded Jewishness, queerness, and sickness as purviews of and navigational tools through this world. He has lectured and consulted about access and disability artistry at universities and art spaces such as Red Bull Arts Detroit, Hunter College Art Galleries, Eyebeam, SUNY Purchase, CUE Art Foundation, York College, Princeton University, and UT Austin. Ezra’s individual and collaborative projects have been exhibited at The Shed, EFA Project Space, The 8th Floor, Flux Factory, NYU’s Gallatin Galleries, Dedalus Foundation, Gibney Dance, The Laurie M. Tisch Gallery at the JCC Manhattan, Pratt Manhattan Galleries, and MMK in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kate
Blair

Communications Coordinator
She // Her // Hers
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Kate is a lover of the arts and is thrilled to support USA Communications team in telling stories about amazing work artists are creating across the country. Originally from Rochester, NY, she holds a BA in English from the College of Wooster and an MA in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Chicago. Most recently, she served as the Marketing and Development Associate at the National Flute Association. She enjoys crafting vegetarian potluck dishes, doing pottery, and going on weekend hiking excursions with her wife and dog. Most evenings, you can find her reading in a cozy chair with a sleeping cat. 

Sól
Casique

Program Assistant
They // Them // Theirs
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Sól Casique is a Venezuelan Colombian creative living in D.C. on Piscataway Conoy Lands. They are a graduate of the University of Maryland and currently an artist of residence with House of Alegría. They exist within the immortality of fungi, lichen, and the interconnectedness of celestial bodies. They center their work on themes of transformation, the complexities of mental health, and our deep connection to nature — dreaming, creating, and fighting for worlds where there’s no negotiation for identities or communities. They have been published in the anthology Somewhere We are Human and are a co-creator of the Venezuelan queer digital zine, Venecuir Writings. As a stellium Taurus, they’re constantly craving a warm window seat to read by, a sweaty perreo mix, and the fall of white supremacist states.

Rachel
Denny

Director of Advancement
She // Her // Hers
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Rachel Denny is a dynamic arts leadership and fundraising executive with more than fifteen years of experience raising revenue and building communities of support for arts, media, and educational organizations. She believes in the critical impact artists have on our culture and communities and is passionate about connecting artists directly with financial and practical resources. Prior to joining United States Artists as Director of Advancement, Rachel spent eight years at Sundance Institute where she most recently held the position of Director of Development and was responsible for raising more than $20 million annually from individuals, foundations, and government entities. She has also held roles on staff at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and The New School. Additionally, she has worked in advisory or consultancy capacities to help newer organizations and film projects with community building and fundraising strategies. Through this facet of her work she has served organizations including the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, Jewish Story Partners, Array, and Oxbelly. Rachel is a native New Yorker who grew up in downtown Manhattan amidst a thriving arts, film, and theater scene. She now resides in the Hudson Valley in Nyack, NY with her family, overflowing bookshelves, a (often diminished) wine cellar, and views of the Hudson River.

Jacqui
Dumornay

Development Coordinator
She // Her // Hers
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Having completed her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees at the University of Toronto studying Human Geography, Urban Studies, and Art History, Boston native Jacqui is interested in the intersections between art production, culture, and identity, with a focus in BIPOC communities. Her thesis, “State of the Culture: An Analysis of Black Uprising Soundscapes in North America,” studied both the archival and future-making work that music does in moments of urban crisis. Professionally, Jacqui has a background in art-based event planning, having worked at the MFA Boston, a private gallery, a satellite show of Miami’s Art Basel, and the concert and education series Castle of our Skins. At USA, she hopes to expand her knowledge, challenge herself, and foster meaningful relationships with artists and other art administrators. You can find Jacqui on the hunt for a good oat milk latte or talking with friends about the latest album releases.

Jessica
Ferrer

Program Manager
She // Her // Hers
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Jessica is an artist who explores forms of tacit knowledge through weaving, text, video, and sound. Her work has been shown in a few galleries and one library, but mostly lives in the homes of friends, family, and acquaintances. She holds a BA in English and Studio Art from Kenyon College and has previously worked in education and nonprofits around Chicago to develop and teach curriculum for K-12 students. Jessica is a former figure skater, current Formula 1 fan, and future fossil.

Tess
Haratonik

Program Manager
She // Her // Hers
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Tess is an arts administrator & arts organizer with a passion for working with and advocating for artists and creatives. Originally from New York City, and raised in Southern Vermont, she fell in love with Chicago’s rich arts & culture scene when she moved to Chicago as a late teen and returned after receiving her undergraduate degree in Portland, Oregon. Tess joined United States Artists as an Intern in 2018 and is delighted to continue to work with USA as Initiatives Coordinator. She received her BA in Art History from Lewis & Clark College and has an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory & Criticism and an MA in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She enjoys dabbling in culinary arts, watching reality tv, spending time with her two cats, Toulouse and Rémy, and is guilty of having way too many coffee table books.

Anna
Harris, MBA, CPA

Finance Director
She // Her // Hers
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With over thirty years of experience in financial statement preparation, audit, treasury, and finance systems management, Anna is someone who enjoys goal-oriented initiatives and bringing the pieces together to achieve the mission. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Anna has worked in the accounting departments of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, Goldblatt’s Department stores, the Academy of General Dentistry, and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Her interests include traveling, specifically to historical cities around the world, and experiencing local food and culture. She enjoys mystery, adventure, and romance novels, a student of Christianity, and known to tell a good joke every now and again.

Isabelle
Hong Martin

Program Coordinator, Initiatives
She // Her // Hers
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Isabelle Hong Martin is an arts administrator with a background in classical music, visual art and art history, and independent documentary. She previously held positions at Kartemquin Films and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and is thrilled to rejoin the team at USA, where she was an intern during graduate school. Isabelle received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago and B.A. in Art History & Visual Studies with a minor in Music Performance (Cello) from the University of Kentucky. You can find her research published in the International Journal of Comic Art; Trans-Scripts, the student-edited interdisciplinary humanities journal based at the University of California, Irvine; and the Pace University Press Journal of Comics and Culture. Born in South Korea, raised in Louisville, KY, and based in Chicago, Isabelle is a proud transracial adoptee. In her spare time, she enjoys watching hockey, knitting, archery, reading nonfiction, playing Spiritfarer on Nintendo Switch, and finding the city’s best spots to grab a beer or bubble tea.

Danielle
Iwata

Executive Coordinator
She // Her // Hers
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Danielle Iwata is a nonprofit administrator and community organizer working towards social impact and equity. She is the Executive Coordinator at United States Artists and has previously held roles in fundraising, programming, and special projects at Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Americans for the Arts, and LaPlaca Cohen. Danielle has served on advisory committees, grant panels, and mentor cohorts for arts organizations throughout the tri-state area and is a founding Board Member of AAPI Montclair, where she is vice chair of the Advocacy Committee. She is also a graphic notetaker, creating live visual notes for conferences, panels, and undergraduate student workshops. Danielle holds a BA in History from Colgate University and continues her (un)learning through facilitating spaces for visioning and healing, deepening connections with her community, and reading the works of adrienne maree brown.

Allie
Linn

Initiatives Manager
They // Them // Theirs
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Allie is a curator and artist motivated by collaborative institution-building, site-responsive practices, and crowd-sourced archives. They recently served as the 2019–20 Guest Curator of Gormley Gallery at Notre Dame of Maryland University and have held positions at Recess, The Contemporary, and the Baltimore Museum of Art, alongside various grassroots arts organizing. In 2014, alongside a cohort of seven artists, they co-founded Bb, a gallery and programming space in downtown Baltimore and a 2015 grantee of The Grit Fund, a Regional Regranting Program of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Allie holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Sculpture and Art History and an MFA in Curatorial Practice from MICA. 

Whitney
Mash Levin

Program Manager
She // Her // Hers
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Whitney is ecstatic to be part of the USA team! Originally from Chicago, Whitney moved to the east coast to study Art History at the University of Pennsylvania and spent several years in New York where she worked at Christie’s, coordinating sales for its Handbags & Accessories division and assisting the department’s presence in Paris, London, and Hong Kong. With a desire to shift gears and work more directly with artists, Whitney returned to her hometown to pursue a dual graduate degree in Arts Administration & Policy and Modern & Contemporary Art History at SAIC. While in graduate school, she joined USA as an intern and assisted the Communications, Development, and Program departments. Now full-time, she has never looked back! When not at the office, Whitney enjoys a good yoga session, attending theater performances, and exploring new restaurants in the city with her twin sister!

Nadine
Nakanishi

Designer-in-Residence
She // Her // Hers
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Nadine loves calling herself a “graphic artist” because, for her, the graphic arts precede the silos placed on contemporary art-making. She’s an image-maker, typographer, and improviser, all of which she explores through an experimental and collaborative art practice with her partner Nick Butcher under the name Sonnenzimmer from their Chicago studio. Nadine explored Asian Studies at the University of Zürich before switching her degree to Typography and fully immersing herself into the graphic world. Her favorite medium is screen printing because so many ideas flow through. Since 2006, Nadine and Nick have screen printed over 70,000 images exploring the contemporary and historic impact of the “graphic impulse” one impression and one color at a time. Her favorite color is Pantone 175, the perfect hybrid of watermelon and a Summer’s dusk moment.

Luz
Orozco

Program Assistant
They // Them // Theirs
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Luz Maria Orozco is a queer artist, arts organizer, and aspiring farmer and herbalist. After receiving their BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, they have been a collaborator behind several arts collectives in the Mid-Atlantic, such as Roots & Raíces and Press Press, which promote the talents of immigrant creatives. In 2022, Luz completed their apprenticeship at Truelove Seeds Farm and is now focused on forming herbal mutual aid networks to support their local queer community. Additionally, they collaborate with three other artists on Wild Tuft, a tufting studio that draws its designs from the queerness found in the more-than-human creatures. Their creative endeavors are guided by the desire to cultivate spaces that foster connection and resilience.

Judilee
Reed

President & CEO
She // Her // Hers
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Judilee is the President & CEO of United States Artists. A leader in arts and culture, Judilee has built a career supporting artists and arts and culture focused work in the urban, rural, and tribal communities across the United States and internationally. Before joining United States Artists, she was a director at the William Penn Foundation where she developed a new programmatic strategy, focused on racial equity and cultural diversity, to guide investments in arts, culture, and public space. Prior to William Penn, she was a director at the Surdna Foundation, a family foundation committed to social justice and neighborhood improvement in the United States. Judilee’s early career included working at the New England Foundation for the Arts where she managed the transnational Cambodian Artists Project and fundraising for special initiatives of the National Dance Project and its public art program. Judilee describes her most formative years as those spent at Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), a ten-year national initiative launched by the Ford Foundation and focused on developing and strengthening the system of support for artists. For Judilee, the common thread in these experiences is transforming conditions for artists, whose powerful imaginations shape our lives and communities. While Judilee grew up in rural New Hampshire, she has spent her adult life living in cities — Boston, New York, and currently Philadelphia. She studied art and art history at the University of New Hampshire and has alumnus status at the Harvard Business School.

Shivani
Somaiya

Advancement Assistant
She // Her // Hers
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Shivani is a writer, photographer, and the Advancement Assistant at United States Artists. When she is not traveling, writing, or shooting film, it’s very likely that she is indulging in a yummy meal, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or discovering new music! Shivani started her career in the nonprofit world at the world’s oldest human rights organization, Anti-Slavery International, and has since worked at a variety of nonprofits, including UN Liaison organizations. She was born in England, raised in Tanzania, and now is based in New York City. She has received degrees in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from the New School and in International Relations from the New York University (NYU) and Royal Holloway, University of London.

Mandy
Thomas

Staff Accountant
She // Her // Hers
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Mandy credits much of her success to her family and farm-town upbringing for fostering community-centered values. Upon graduating from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, she gravitated toward organizations committed to advancing public equity. Throughout her career practicing fund accounting and financial reporting for public education spaces, primarily with the University of Missouri System, she considers the relationships built through cross-collaboration among the most rewarding experiences. Excited to work alongside a dedicated group of colleagues, she hopes to challenge her capabilities and expand a disposition towards constant learning to support United States Artists’ financial framework, foster connections with stakeholders, and positively impact the experience of American artists. Mandy enjoys frequenting local art spaces, berry and mushroom foraging in the spring and fall, and fishing for trout at high mountain lakes with her husband and two dogs named Buddy and Tilly.

 

Board

Founders