The Municipal Art Society of New York

MAS members will be treated to a special appearance at our Annual Meeting on March 29 by Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts and longtime friend of MAS. Landesman will deliver a keynote address as part of our 20-year retrospective on the transformation of Times Square, andwill open the program with remarks on the creative economy and the importance of the arts community as a cultural and economic driver.

“We are so delighted that Rocco will be with us that night, since he was one of the pivotal players in the revitalization of Times Square,” said MAS President Vin Cipolla. “He can speak specifically to the challenges he faced in his role as a Broadway producer and president of Jujamcyn. In his current role as NEA chairman, he will focus on the importance of the arts as an economic engine for New York and cities everywhere.”

In addition to Landesman’s address, MAS will convene a panel focusing on Times Square, moderated by Eleanor Randolph, a member of the editorial board of The New York Times. This famed neighborhood will be examined from the perspective of those who helmed the dramatic transformation. Panelists Gretchen Dykstra, founding president of the Times Square Business Improvement District, and Rosanne Haggerty, founder and director of the nonprofit Common Ground, will reflect on the staggering challenges in transforming Times Square and the diverse stakeholders – city and state government, property owners, businesses and other neighborhood interests – who rallied together to ensure a roaring comeback for this once-blighted neighborhood.

118th Annual Meeting of The Municipal Art Society of New York
When: Tuesday, March 29, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.; reception to follow.
Where: New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St. MAP.
Cost: Free.
Note: This event is open to current members only.
RSVP required. Register now or call 212 935 2075.