Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts appoints new prez

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on August 7 appointed Dr. Mariko Silver, a leader in the fields of philanthropy, education, government and the arts, as its next president and chief executive officer.

Board Chair Steven R. Swartz said Silver, the 12th president, will join Lincoln Center on September 23, 2024. 

“Silver will build upon a number of bold initiatives in recent years that invest in the vibrancy of New York City through the arts—from the reimagining of the Amsterdam Avenue side of Lincoln Center’s campus to the annual Summer for the City festival, which welcomes hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to free and Choose-What-You-Pay events across campus,” he said. 

“Silver’s innovative leadership will deepen Lincoln Center’s commitment to advance the arts for all, bringing world-class performers and creative visionaries to New York City and the world,” he added. 

 An expert in institutional transformation, organizational change and intercultural program development, Swartz said Silver comes to Lincoln Center from her role as president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation, “a private, independent philanthropy that works to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.” 

At the Luce Foundation, Swartz said Silver oversaw the creation of new initiatives supporting Democracy, Ethics, and Public Trust and Asian American Voices, prioritized funding exhibitions of and by American artists of color in art museums across the country, and more than doubled the foundation’s funding commitment to Indigenous communities. 

Silver is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and serves on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations and Philanthropy New York. 

“She brings extensive experience managing large complex organizations with multiple stakeholders,” Swartz said. “As president of Bennington College, the first liberal arts institution in the United States to advance the arts as a co-equal educational endeavor, Silver secured the largest endowment gift in its history, welcomed its biggest and most diverse classes, and forged lasting partnerships with some of the world’s premier arts and cultural institutions.”

Additionally, Swartz said she worked closely with local community members and elected officials on the successful effort to redevelop the town of Bennington’s major commercial crossroads. 

“Mariko is an innovative and proven leader with deep experience at complex organizations,” he said. “Her successful tenures as CEO of a prominent college and foundation, paired with her leadership and love of the arts, position Lincoln Center to thrive with her at the helm as we continue a number of important initiatives to strengthen our service to New York City and beyond.”

Silver said that, throughout her career, she has “relished opportunities to unleash creativity, bridge cultures, and support communities and individuals to imagine their own best futures. 

“Lincoln Center does all those things at the highest level of excellence and ambition,” she said. “It is an honor to join Lincoln Center at this moment.

“I was born and raised in the glow of Lincoln Center and was fortunate to experience early in life the transformative impact of artistic greatness,” she added. “Lincoln Center is a creative force, giving artists expansive reach and an extraordinary platform to bring forth their very best work. As we embark on this next chapter together, it is my privilege to build upon all that has come before and continue to advance the arts for all.”

During the Obama administration, Silver served as acting assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary for International Policy for the US Department of Homeland Security. 

Before that, she was Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s Policy Advisor for Economic Development, Innovation, and Higher Education. 

Prior to her government service, Silver was instrumental in the transformation and expansion of Arizona State University. 

Additionally, Silver is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and sits on the board of the Migration Policy Institute. 

She holds a BA in history from Yale University, an MSc in science and technology policy from the University of Sussex (UK), a Ph.D. in economic geography from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and an honorary Ph.D. from Hofstra University.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts considers itself “a cultural and civic cornerstone of New York City.”

“The primary advocate for the entire Lincoln Center campus, our strategic priorities include: fostering collaboration and deepening impact across the Lincoln Center resident organizations; championing inclusion and increasing the accessibility and reach of Lincoln Center’s work; and nurturing innovation on stage and off to help ensure the arts are at the center of civic life for all,” it said. 

Lincoln Center said it presents hundreds of programs each year, offered primarily for free and choose-what-you-pay, including many specially designed for young audiences, families, and those with disabilities.