POWArts

The Professional Organization of
Women in the Arts

 

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History

POWArts was founded in 2006 by Sara Kay, and has functioned since as a grassroots organization to provide professional and personal support to women and men in the visual arts. POWArts is in the process of applying for classification as a 501(c)(3) organization and expects to obtain not-for-profit status as of Fall 2008.


POWArts Mission

The Professional Organization of Women in the Arts is the premier membership-based non profit organization that champions the advancement of women in the visual arts industry. Our multi-disciplined membership furthers personal and professional development within all areas of the visual arts. The POWArts welcomes museum and auction house professionals, gallerists, non profit professionals, academics, educators, private consultants, art-related business owners, and entrepreneurs. We serve as a valuable resource for information, and provide a supportive environment to educate, empower, and promote leadership among women in the visual arts.


Goals

Advance the professional development of, and promote leadership among, women in the visual arts through educational meetings, workshops, group discussions, and career placement assistance.

  1. •Serve as a medium for the communication and exchange of ideas between women in the visual arts. 

  2. •Empower and promote confidence among women in a supportive environment. 

  3. •Address the challenges for advancement women face in the field.

  4. •Encourage employment in the arts and guide future talent to successful careers.

  5. •Provide opportunities for networking.

  6. •Encourage members to support their communities through industry-related initiatives.


Core Values

Predicated on the belief that members are our most valuable resource and the POWArts is built on our members’ successes and interests:

  1. •The highest professional standards among members.

  2. •A passionate commitment to the advancement of women in the visual arts, and the relentless pursuit of integrity in the business  of the arts.

  3. •The recognition and celebration of excellence among our members.

  4. •A platform that reflects the unique perspectives of women.

  5. •A supportive environment for all members to achieve their professional and personal goals.

  6. •Meaningful opportunities for involvement in decision making and membership recruitment within the POWArts. 


Initiatives

Facilitate personal and professional development through: 

  1. •Discussion groups focused on career development and advancement.

  2. •Advisory and Mentoring Assistance.

  3. •Networking events that foster the exchange of ideas among members.

  4. •Online employment, volunteer and resume bank.

  5. •Newsletters and additional industry and other business-related resources and publications.

  6. •Career Development Programs.


Board of Directors

Sara Kay-Krinsky, Founder, chairman of the board

Fine Arts Representative, Jan Krugier Gallery


Sara Kay founded the Professional Organization of Women in the Arts in 2006.


Ms. Kay currently serves as Fine Arts Representative at the Jan Krugier Gallery, New York where she is the primary business getter for the Gallery within North America. Prior to her position at the Jan Krugier Gallery, she served as Specialist in the Old Master Drawings Department at Christie's, New York, where she acted as client liaison for the department within North and South America. During her tenure at Christie's, Ms. Kay also served as Executive Director of Artist Talk on Art, a non profit organization that promotes dialogue among art world professional for audiences in the New York City vicinity. Ms. Kay's passion for the arts and professionalism within the field is what has driven her to found and Chair POWArts.  She wishes to share her professional resources with fellow colleagues for the benefit of the visual arts field and the community at large.



Mary Zuber,  Secretary

Collections Manager, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Drawings and Prints Department

Mary Zuber received her Bachelor of Arts in English and French Literature from Cornell University. She spent a portion of her education at the University of Paris Jussieu and later at the Institut d'Etudes Francais d' Avignon studying Medieval Literature. Ms. Zuber has worked in the Drawings and Prints Department at the Metropolitan. Museum of Art since 2003.  In 2007, she was appointed Collections Manager. Ms. Zuber coordinates drawings acquisitions (both purchases and gifts) with curators, paper conservators, registrars and the Counsel's and Director's offices. Prior to her position at the Metropolitan Museum, Ms. Zuber acted as the Administrative Assistant and Auction Coordinator to the Impressionist and Modern Art Department at Christie's, New York, where she executed contracts and financial agreements between clients and Christie's Inc. Ms. Zuber coordinated the creation and publication of the sale catalogues and managed property appraisals, correspondence, travel and daily schedules for the Head of the Department. In 2000, Ms. Zuber was nominated to the company-wide committee for development of global performance goals.


Meghan Carleton, Treasurer

Partner, Art Finance Partners

Meghan Carleton is a partner of Art Finance Partners, a New York based specialty finance firm that lends money using art as collateral.  Art Finance Partners provides innovative credit and advisory solutions to owners of unconventional asset such as fine and decorative art, antiques and collectibles.  Previously, Ms. Carleton was an Associate at Art Capital Group where she focused on marketing and client development.  Ms. Carleton earned a graduate degree from Christie’s Education, London and graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in art history and economics.


Elizabeth Wickersham, Membership Committee Director

Gallery Manager, Otto Naumann Fine Art Ltd.

Elizabeth Wickersham has managed fine art galleries for over ten years. In addition to her client liaison experience, she also manages all aspects of daily management including monitoring financial transactions, insurance coverage for an inventory of more than 75 million, and arranging the purchase and sale of art works through private transactions and at auction. Previously, Ms. Wickersham served as Auction Coordinator for the Old Master Paintings Department at Christie's, New York where she communicated with clients to organize the sale of the their property. Additionally, she maintained the department's client database. She currently acts Gallery Manager of Otto Naumann Fine Art, Ltd., where she acts as the main client liaison all transactions. Ms. Wickersham received her B.A. in Art History and Fine Arts with a concentration on sculpture from Hartwick College.


Mary Pontillo, Community Service Director

Assistant Vice President, Dewitt Stern Insurance Group

Specializing in fine art insurance placements, Ms. Pontillo has been a member of the Fine Art Practice at DeWitt Stern Group Inc. since May 2006. Prior to joining DeWitt Stern, Ms. Pontillo served as a Fine Art Insurance Underwriter & Account Manager at Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency. Additionally, Ms. Pontillo taught art courses in Norfolk, VA for two years, and served as a docent at the Smithsonian Institute, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. Ms. Pontillo has her B.A. and M.A. in Art History and completed an Appraisal Studies program at New York University. Ms. Pontillo is active in the New York chapter of the National Association for Insurance Woman where she serves as Community Service Chair and organizes various community service projects in the New York vicinity.


Karen Lauria Kosi, Web & Graphic Design

Gallery Assistant

Ms. Kosi is a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a B.A. in Art History with minors in History and Italian. She currently acts as office assistant at the Jan Krugier Gallery, New York, where she performs a variety of administrative duties. She is pursuing a Masters Degree in Secondary Education in Social Studies at CUNY Lehman College. As a teacher, Ms. Kosi hopes to synthesize history and the visual arts in her classroom curricula. Ms. Kosi has also studied at the University of Richmond in Florence, Italy and has worked as a docent at the Church of Santa Maria Novella, giving art tours to church visitors in both English and Italian.


Elana Rubinfeld, Outreach  

Assistant Director, Julian Weissman Fine Art

In addition to her current role as Assistant Director of Julian Weissman Fine Art, Ms. Rubinfeld is the co-founder of Art Hijack, a public relations and consulting firm that targets national and international visual arts and cultural communities. Prior to starting her own public relations company, Ms. Rubinfeld acted as an Account Coordinator at Blue Medium, a public relations company for visual arts businesses. In this role, Ms. Rubinfeld drafted and distributed press releases for numerous cultural clients including the Venice Biennale, New York Academy of the Arts and AAF Contemporary Art Fair. She is the co-chair of The Sculpture Center's New Art Network (NAN). Ms. Rubinfeld is also a founding member of MoMA's POPRALLY and Development Professionals in the Arts (DPA).