Jamaican arts and culture leader Kristina Newman-Scott has been appointed vice president for arts at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the organization announced Tuesday.
In this role, Newman-Scott will oversee the foundation’s expansive arts portfolio, which has invested over $466 million since 2005 to empower artists and arts organizations in building vibrant communities.
“Kristina’s passionate belief in the power of the arts to build and strengthen community is inspiring,” said Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, Knight Foundation president and CEO. “She deeply understands the positive effect of a thriving arts ecosystem on local economies and is an energetic champion of local artists and organizations. I could not be more delighted to welcome Kristina to Knight Foundation.”
Newman-Scott, originally from Jamaica, has over 20 years of leadership in contemporary visual and performing arts. Her career spans roles as a practicing artist, curator, and arts administrator. She most recently served as the inaugural executive director of the Jerome L. Greene Performance Art Space at New York Public Radio/WNYC.
“Knight Foundation is an industry-leading funder within the arts, with a proven track record of meaningful and sustainable impact for the populations it serves,” Newman-Scott said. “I bring a multidisciplinary approach that meets arts organizations and artists where they are. I’m thrilled to join an organization with a clear devotion to this work and such a rich history of results. I look forward to building on Knight Foundation’s incredible legacy.”
Shaping the future of the arts
As vice president, Newman-Scott will oversee Knight’s arts initiatives across eight cities: Miami, Detroit, Philadelphia, Akron, Charlotte, Macon, San Jose, and St. Paul. The foundation’s funding strategy focuses on using technology to transform the arts, support local initiatives, and engage new audiences.
Knight Foundation’s programs, including Knight New Work and Knight Art + Tech Expansion, fund projects that introduce new technologies, deepen experiences, and inspire innovative works. The foundation also supports fellowships, forums, research, and infrastructure development to bolster arts organizations’ capacities.
Newman-Scott’s extensive leadership background includes serving as president of BRIC in Brooklyn, director of culture for the State of Connecticut, and director of programs at the Boston Center for the Arts. She is a board member of Americans for the Arts, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and National Arts Strategies, among others. Recognized as a visionary in the arts, she has been featured on City and State New York’s Telecommunications Power 50 and Observer’s NYC Arts Power 50 lists.
Before moving to the U.S. in 2005, Newman-Scott spent nearly three decades as a practicing artist in her home country of Jamaica, where she cultivated her deep commitment to the arts as a vehicle for community transformation.
