Works & Process announces Bart Friedman has stepped down as Chair of Works & Process, a role he has held since 2008, becoming Chair Emeritus, with Stephen Kroll Reidy succeeding him as Chair. Friedman, who guided Works & Process through a founder transition and pandemic
transformation hands over to Reidy, an advocate for supporting artists and their creative process.

During his tenure, Friedman guided the organization through a seamless founder transition with Mary Sharp Cronson, who had been at the helm of Works & Process since its foundation in 1984, transferring leadership to Executive Director Duke Dang and Producer Caroline Cronson. Friedman’s tenure spanned the pandemic, a transformative period for Works & Process. In creating an industry-leading bubble residency model, Works & Process expanded beyond the Guggenheim and, in a widely duplicated model, enabled Works & Process to lead the way to the reopening of live outdoor performances in New York State in the Hudson Valley in Summer of 2020 and then live indoor performances in New York State in the Guggenheim Rotunda on March 21, 2021. During this time Works & Process was awarded first time grants from Mellon and Doris Duke Foundation, honored with the 2021 Dance Magazine Award, and nominated in 2021 and 2022 with the Association for Performing Arts Presenter’s William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming. Friedman joined the Board in 2017, and shortly thereafter was elected as Board Chair.

Before his tenure with Works & Process, Friedman served as Vice Chair of The Juilliard School. Friedman continues to serve on the Boards of The Brookings Institution, Lincoln Center for The Performing Arts and as a member of the Membership Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also continues to serve as Chair of Giant Eagle and as Senior Counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel. His steadfast leadership as Chair over the past 6 years has helped Works & Process through an era of deep transformation and expansion.

Friedman will be succeeded by Stephen Kroll Reidy. During his eight years on the Board, Reidy has consistently been at the heart of Works & Process, serving on the Finance Committee and providing instrumental funding for Works & Process LaunchPAD “Process as Destination”, an evolution of Works & Process’ bubble residency program. An advocate and supporter for artists and their creative process, during his tenure as a Board Member of the New York City Ballet, Reidy created the First Steps initiative supporting company dancers develop their choreographic interest. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Paul Taylor Dance Company (Development Committee Chair); Board President of BalletCollective, supporting deep collaboration and original process; and on the board of Dance Lab New York, a choreographic incubator.