Bryan Joseph Lee Named Deputy Commissioner of New York City Cultural Affairs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has named two senior leadership appointments: Bryan Joseph Lee as deputy commissioner and Ryan Max as chief of staff. Their appointments, according to a release, “will help guide the agency as it rolls out ambitious new programs to deliver on the Mamdani administration’s affordability agenda for the cultural community, while focusing in supporting the work of agency staff to deliver excellence in public service.” Lee is a cultural strategist and producer, who since 2021 has a Harlem-based consultancy named CNTR ARTS. His two-decade career has spanned working in the performing arts and museums, and his clients have included the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Artist Alliance, the Mellon Foundation, and the Wallace Foundation. Previously he served as the artistic director of the Public Forum at the Public Theater. During his tenure at Public Forum, he produced over 75 programs featuring over 250 artists. He has also independently produced programs at Lincoln Center, La MaMa, and the Shed. “In a time when the city is looking for leadership that can boost, ground, and galvanize the support that is needed, I am ecstatic to see Bryan Joseph Lee join this forward thinking administration,” Jonathan McCory, executive artistic director of the National Black Theater in Harlem, said in a statement.“He has worked in the sector for years and seen how each neighborhood has been affected by, supported, and deserves creative opportunities focused on providing access to all.” Since 2014, Max has been the department’s director of external affairs, where he has overseen the communications strategy for the county’s largest municipal funder of the arts. During his tenure, he has led the public roll-out for several of the department’s initiatives, including IDNYC cultural benefit program and its response to the pandemic’s effect on the cultural sector. In a statement, former commissioner Tom Finkelpearl said, “Ryan Max has earned the trust and respect of colleagues across the agency, city government and the cultural community. As Chief of Staff, Ryan will bring integrity, humanity and strategic vision to this essential role in the agency.” In a statement, DCLA commissioner Diya Vij described Max as “a pillar of every major initiative to come out of DCLA since 2014” and Lee as a cultural worker who has “spent years pushing for greater equity and care for artists and workers.” She added, “Lee brings a depth of experience across the performing arts, shaping grant programs, building the capacity of nonprofits, curating groundbreaking performances and festivals, and leading major community engagement initiatives. … Ryan will be instrumental to DCLA’s ability to execute an excellence in government that this administration strives for.”