Dr. Edie Demas

Vice President, Organizational Strategy

Edie Demas is an award-winning, internationally recognized, creative leader with a broad range of experience spanning organizational, school, community, festival, and academic environments. Regardless of context, her work has always focused on centering the fundamental connection between artist, art-work, and audience and breaking down the structures, systems, and assumptions that can create barriers to these experiences.

In 2019, she was recognized as a Leading Woman in Business by 914INC and in 2018, she received a Responsible 100 Award from City and State Media, honoring New York's most outstanding and socially responsible thought leaders and visionaries making transformative change.

Edie served as Executive Director of the Jacob Burns Film Center from 2014 through 2019 during its transition from founding leadership. A critical component of this work included the creation of the organization’s first strategic plan and workplace culture survey, as well as brokering several new programs and partnerships at the national level. Prior to this, she worked as a strategic collaborator on the opening of The Wallis in Los Angeles, where she consulted on mission, vision, and strategy as well as on the final phase of construction for the center’s education wing; collaborated on artistic programs; and designed a range of education and engagement programs serving people of all ages. She served as the Director of Education at New York City’s New Victory Theater for 10 seasons, launching its renowned Teaching Artist Ensemble. Her international experience includes several years in Ireland, where she worked with the Graffiti Theatre Company and The Abbey Theatre as well as several arts and music festivals.

Edie holds an MA and PhD from NYU’s Program in Educational Theatre, where she has held positions as a teaching fellow, producer, and adjunct faculty member.

 

Get To Know Edie:

  • What was the first concert you attended? A Rush Concert

  • Where would your ideal work from home location be? Whidbey Island, West Cork, or Crete - ideally alternating.

  • What is something about you that people would be surprised to learn? That I once went down an Olympic luge run

  • What is your favorite Non-Fiction book? Just Kids by Patti Smith

  • Who are the three people at your ideal dinner party? Boots Riley, Sharon Horgan, Rachel Maddow and also the whole cast of Derry Girls