Chicago, IL—The Terra Foundation for American Art is pleased to welcome Arthur Cohen and Martha Tedeschi to its Board of Directors. Amina J. Dickerson, a Terra Foundation board member since 2021, was elected board chair, and Kaywin Feldman, a member of the board since 2022, was elected vice chair.
“In many ways, this is a coming home for Martha, who for decades held multiple leadership roles at the Art Institute of Chicago. Martha brings to the foundation her strong relationships in Chicago, as well as her knowledge of American art and museums,” said Sharon Corwin, Terra Foundation president & CEO. “Arthur’s acumen as a strategist and his leadership of the Culture Track initiative have deeply impacted the field’s understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the arts and culture sector, and he will bring that same insight and rigor to our work.”
Arthur Cohen is CEO and founder of Arthur M. Cohen Advisors, Ltd., where he is a consultant and advisor to cultural and creative organizations. After co-founding and leading his previous enterprise, LaPlaca Cohen—a strategic communications practice serving museums and the cultural sector more broadly—Arthur currently focuses on strategic visioning for organizations planning their future. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Business School, and the London School of Economics, Arthur has previously served as Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, Adjunct Professor at Stanford University, and Visiting Professor at New York University.
Martha is the former director at Harvard Art Museums and previously was deputy director for art and research at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she enjoyed a long tenure as curator in the Department of Prints and Drawings. A specialist in 19th-century British and American art, she has been published extensively on James McNeill Whistler, Winslow Homer, and John Marin, among other artists. Her affiliations include being a former member of the Association of Art Museum Directors, a 2012 fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership, a president of the Print Council of America (2009–13), and a board member of the Association of Art Museum Curators (2015–16). Martha earned a BA from Brown University, an MA from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from Northwestern University.
Amina Dickerson is an arts activist and patron with decades of experience working with and for artists and arts organizations. Amina has held executive positions with the Smart Museum of Art, the Woods Fund of Chicago, Kraft Foods, the Chicago Historical Society, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, and Chicago’s DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. In Chicago she has chaired the Cultural Advisory Council for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Leadership Advisory Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. Amina has been named a Salzburg Global Forum Fellow and a Newberry Library Fellow. She studied theater at Emerson College and holds an MA in arts management from American University.
“I deeply admire the work of the Terra Foundation and its commitment to making a meaningful impact in American art, both locally in Chicago and on a global scale,” said Dickerson. “I am honored to lead this skilled and visionary board to elevate and advance our mission and to support our partners in doing their impactful work to expand narratives of American art.”
Kaywin Feldman is director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Her vision for the National Gallery focuses on expanding the museum’s service to the nation. Prior to joining the National Gallery in March of 2019, Kaywin led the Minneapolis Institute of Art as its Nivin and Duncan MacMillan Director and President from 2008 to 2019 and directed the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from 1999 to 2007. Kaywin is a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the White House Historical Association, and she is a member of the leadership board of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. A past president of the Association of Art Museum Directors and past chair of the American Alliance of Museums, Kaywin lectures and publishes widely on many aspects of museums in the 21st century.
“Amina was one of the first people I met when I arrived at the foundation as president and CEO in 2020, and I could tell immediately that she would be an invaluable thought partner, and I have admired Kaywin’s leadership in the field for decades,” said Corwin. “I am thrilled to work with them both in their respective capacities as chair and vice chair of the board. I know what an impact they will make.”
About the Terra Foundation for American Art
The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and having offices in Chicago and Paris, supports organizations and individuals locally and globally with the aim of fostering intercultural dialogues and encouraging transformative practices that expand narratives of American art, through the foundation’s grant program, collection, and initiatives
For interviews and images, please contact [email protected].
