Diya Vij, curator and current vice president of curatorial and artistic programs at Powerhouse Arts, has been selected as New York City’s next commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), according to people familiar with the matter. art news. The New York Times broke the news this morning.
Considered one of the most important positions in the city’s arts ecosystem, the commissioner is a high-profile role whenever a new mayor takes office. DCA is the largest municipal arts funding agency in the United States, providing funding to more than 800 cultural organizations in the city’s five boroughs. Of course, the appointment of mayor Zoran Mamdani, whose wife Rama Duvaj is an artist, has fueled speculation about who will be chosen.
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Mamdani described Vij in a statement era As “a visionary and thoughtful leader, he understood that art was not decorative but essential to the city.”
Mamdani sparked speculation in November when she appointed members to the Arts and Culture Transition Council, a 28-member body that includes art dealers, curators, journalists and arts nonprofit executives. Inductees include curator and author Kimberly Drew, MoMA PS1 Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Ruba Katrib, The Kitchen Executive Director and Chief Curator Legacy Russell, and former New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Gonzalo Casals.
Vij, who also serves on the committee, was appointed to a position at Powerhouse, an arts production and programming center in Brooklyn, in November. Her tenure at Powerhouse proved to be short-lived. Prior to joining Powerhouse, Vij served as curator at Creative Time, where she launched CTHQ (a gathering space for artists working at the intersection of art and politics), established a fellowship for socially engaged artists, relaunched the Creative Time Summit, and helped realize multiple public art commissions. Shs previously served as Associate Curator of Public Programs at the High Line.
Vij also worked at DCA for four and a half years from 2014 to 2019 as Digital Communications Manager. She also launched and managed DCA’s public artist-in-residence program and led the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Former DCA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo was appointed to the position in March 2022. She previously served as a member of the New York City Council for more than a decade and served as the council’s majority leader from 2018 to 2021.
