CREATE Announces New Exec. Director, Board Growth & Plans

CREATE Announces New Exec. Director, Board Growth & Plans

Stella Yoon Assumes Helm of CREATE as Executive Director

Catskill, New York – CREATE Council on the Arts is pleased to announce a new phase of development is officially underway for this legacy Hudson Valley non-profit arts organization. Times have changed and so has CREATE, signaling shifts in leadership and strategic planning within the former Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA). Reflective of this growth, CREATE proudly welcomes Stella Yoon as its new Executive Director, as well as Adrianne Pierce, Shanatia Bygrave, and Marya Warshaw to its Board of Directors.

In recent years, the council, serving the community for the last 48 years supporting Greene, Columbia and Schoharie counties, has gone through a period of significant expansion and internal restructuring. Through this process, recently under the stewardship of Interim Executive Director Nathan McLaughlin, CREATE has arrived at a new phase of historical transformation.

“We are excited to be in a rebuild involving a new strategic plan,” says McLaughlin. “As part of this plan, we’re pleased to introduce our new Executive Director and three new board members in the past year while focusing on strengthening and building our membership, expanding our gallery program and celebrating the biggest grant year in our history supported by the New York State Council on the Arts and Columbia County.”

CREATE Council on the Arts proudly introduces and welcomes its new Executive Director and Board of Directors members:

Stella Yoon (Executive Director) – Stella Yoon is a designer and strategist with years of experience working in the retail and photography industries in NYC collaborating with magazines, agencies, retailers and fellow artists. Instrumental in the creation and development of Hudson River Exchange, Stella has worked extensively at the intersection of artisanal craft and commerce, hosting large-scale market events to running a retail incubator. She has mentored makers and small businesses, helping them evolve their ideas into business goals. Passionate about building bridges to resources and supporting creatives, Stella brings tremendous excitement to her new role overseeing the art council of Greene, Columbia, and Schoharie counties. She plans to mold the programming with a focus on cultivating community connections, linking artists and organizations to funding opportunities and collaborating with local businesses to bolster economic development.

Adrianne Pierce (Board of Directors) – Dr. Adrianne E. Pierce joined the Board of CREATE in 2022. A Classicist by training, Adrianne has taught Latin and Greek for nearly 40 years at the undergraduate and secondary levels. In addition to her teaching, she has directed global education travel and exchange programs and led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives for students and adults. A Hudson Valley weekender for over 15 years, Adrianne and her family now live full-time in Greene County. Having grown up in a family of professional musicians, Adrianne has been a lifelong champion of the arts and is committed to furthering CREATE’s mission to support artists and arts programming in Columbia, Green, and Schoharie counties.

Shanatia Bygrave (Board of Directors) – Shanatia Bygrave is Branch Manager of Greylock Federal Credit Union and a certified financial coach with CUNA. Shanatia says, “I am passionate about helping individuals meet their financial goals and making sure they are taking care of their financial wellness. I love the arts in all forms and feel it connects us to our roots and reminds us of who we are. Art allows us to be our true selves without fear of judgment.”

Marya Warshaw (Board of Directors) – Marya Warshaw is the Founding Executive/Artistic Director of BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, where she led the organization and its wide slate of programming, strategy and development for nearly thirty years. Among her many accomplishments, Warshaw was recognized by Bard College in 2019 with their John Dewey public service award and has received two NY Dance & Performance Awards (the “Bessies”) both in 2018 for outstanding service to the field of dance and 1998 for “building a house and a home for the arts in Brooklyn”. Currently, she is a strategic advisor offering long- and short-term consulting to independent artists and organizations.

Who We Are

Founded in 1975 as the Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA), we became CREATE Council on the Arts in 2019 to reflect our support of Greene, Columbia and Schoharie counties. CREATE stands for Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology & Education.

Who We Serve

CREATE is a nonprofit arts service organization providing essential services to artists, arts organizations, cultural and educational institutions, civic groups, community agencies and the general public. We serve Greene, Columbia & Schoharie Counties in New York State.

What We Do

CREATE advances the regional arts and cultural community with grants and other creative resources. Our purpose is to broaden and enrich the quality of life in the three Counties by developing and strengthening all of the arts and by fostering cultural and arts-related activities.

Questions? Email info@createcouncil.org