Creative Capital Announces New Director of Artist Initiatives

Marianna Schaffer Brings Over a Decade of Relevant Experience in Artist Support

New York, NY (February 8, 2018) — Creative Capital announced today that Marianna Schaffer has joined the organization as Director of Artist Initiatives. The new position will serve a key role in cultivating and creating relationships, strategies, outreach, and programs to serve the needs of artists. Schaffer will oversee both awardee services and professional development programs (previously two separate entities), which are at the core of Creative Capital’s mission to support artists in realizing their creative visions.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Marianna to the Creative Capital team,” said Suzy Delvalle, President and Executive Director. “We’ve been talking to artists around the country, and we keep hearing that there is a clear need for comprehensive artist-driven funding and advisory services. Marianna is the perfect leader to further develop our award and professional development efforts into an integrated program that will have a positive impact on artists and communities across the nation.”

Stephen Reily, Chair of the Board of Directors, added, “Suzy Delvalle is bringing together all the ways that Creative Capital support artists, and the Board is delighted that Marianna Shaffer will join us to fulfill that goal.”

With deep expertise in working with contemporary artists from her previous work at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and the David Rockefeller Fund, Schaffer will oversee Creative Capital’s artist initiatives nationwide, from workshops and webinars to the individualized advisory and financial support offered to Creative Capital Awardees. Applications for the Creative Capital Award are now open through February 28.

“I have long admired Creative Capital’s unique model of investing in and engaging artists who are pushing the boundaries of their creative practices. l’m thrilled to be working with such an impressive cohort of artists and partner organizations around the country. For me there could be no more important mission in our society today than supporting artistic and creative expression,” said Marianna Schaffer.

About Marianna Schaffer
Marianna Schaffer has spent over a decade as a leader in the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, most recently in support of American artists and arts institutions dedicated to positive social change. She served as a Program Officer at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, where she helped to empower individual artists and small arts organizations working across the country at the intersection of arts and social justice, primarily through pioneering initiatives such as the Artist as Activist Fellowship and SEED program. During her tenure, she also managed the partnership with the Sundance Institute New Climate Initiative to uncover and support films and emerging media projects that address the environment, conservation, and climate change.

Before joining Rauschenberg, Marianna worked as a member of David Rockefeller’s philanthropic team for 11 years, rising to become the Director of Programs at the David Rockefeller Fund, where she was responsible for day-to-day operations and grant-making focused on arts access and engagement, criminal justice reform, and climate change advocacy in New York City.

Marianna has a strong international background; she is Brazilian on her mother’s side and speaks both Portuguese and French fluently. She is a Master of International Education from New York University, a B.A. in Social & Global Studies from Antioch College, and is a veteran of AmeriCorps, where she volunteered for two years in the Learn & Serve Corps based at the University of Denver.

Outside of her professional activities, Marianna serves on the Board of Directors of Placeful, a community-investment nonprofit, as the Chair of the Local Arts Advisory Council of the Special 125th Street District in Manhattan, and recently completed a term on the Young Partners Board of the Public Theater. She is active in her Harlem community, serving on the steering committee of the North Star Neighborhood Association and as a member of the Garden of Love community garden.

About Creative Capital
Creative Capital supports innovative and adventurous artists across the country through funding, counsel and career development services. Its pioneering venture philanthropy approach helps artists working in all creative disciplines realize their visions and build more sustainable careers. Learn more at creative-capital.org.

Creative Capital receives major support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Toby Devan Lewis, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, Jane Brown and Neil Didriksen, Paige West, Stephen Reily and Emily Bingham, The Theo Westenberger Estate, and more than 100 other institutional and individual donors.

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