“Katherine Nicholls has been an incredible asset to the New York State Council on the Arts,” said NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus. “Her strength as a leader and devotion to New York State’s creative culture will be of great service to the agency and the state as we move forward.”

"It has been a privilege to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts,” Nicholls said. “I am honored to take on the role of Chair and look forward to working even more closely with the staff and Council to support and advance our state’s arts and culture on behalf of the people of New York.”

During her tenure with GreenGale, Nicholls championed the company’s mission to Connect, Captivate and Celebrate with Consciousness, ensuring that content reflected the style and sensibility of each market. The oversized glossy magazines featured editorial focused on local arts, culture and philanthropy, as well as fashion, dining and real estate.  

A champion of creative talent and community arts, Nicholls launched the multimedia feature “Art of the City” across all 11 publications, giving national exposure to artists whose works appeared on covers and was donated to support local arts-based charities. Integrating editorial content, social media and experiential events, “Art of the City” ran annually in summer for three years, reaching over 15 million readers each year.

Prior to joining GreenGale (then Niche Media) in 2007 as Chief Marketing Officer, Nicholls had a twenty year career in marketing in the wine and spirits industry in both Canada and the United States. Nicholls worked for leading organizations Schieffelin & Somerset (a joint venture between Moët Hennessy and Diageo PLC), and Diageo PLC. She also serves on the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence New York Leadership Council.

“The agency looks forward to continued success at the Council under Katherine's leadership, and we congratulate our outgoing Chair Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel on the completion of her term as Chair and Councilmember,” said Manus. “Barbaralee’s contributions to the Council and to artistic and cultural affairs across the State have been immense and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service.”

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The New York State Council on the Arts champions community and creativity by preserving and advancing numerous aspects of the cultural heritage that makes New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit.

NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development and quality of life. Through our core grantmaking activity, NYSCA awarded $41M in FY2018 to 2,400 arts and cultural organizations and municipalities statewide through direct grants and regrants in our 15 programs and the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. An additional $20M capital funding opportunity was awarded in partnership with Empire State Development. NYSCA funding supports the visual, literary, media and performing arts and includes dedicated support for arts education and underserved communities. NYSCA further advances New York's creative culture by hosting convenings with leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources.

Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960, and continued and expanded to the present day with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, NYSCA is an agency of the Executive Branch of the New York State Government. For more information on NYSCA, please visit: www.arts.ny.gov.