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CEC ARTSLINK INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 132531695 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE Q210 · International Affairs · Small ($100K-$1M) · cecartslink.org
revenue
$520K
expenses
$894K
net assets
$149K
employees
4
volunteers
9
program ratio
88%
mission · from form 990

CEC ARTSLINK BELIEVES THAT THE ARTS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ACHIEVING INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND, THEREFORE, CREATES AND ADMINISTERS EXCHANGE PROGRAMS TO FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AND RESIDENCIES FOR PROFESSIONAL CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS.

profile · synthesized from sources

CEC ArtsLink creates and administers international exchange programs to foster cultural understanding through the arts. The organization facilitates residencies and collaborative projects for professional cultural practitioners from Eurasia, the Caucasus, Central Europe, and the United States. Its primary initiative, the Art Prospect Network, supports artist exchanges, public art festivals, and training in socially engaged art practices across 10 participating countries.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $277K
    ART PROSPECT NETWORKTHIS PROGRAM ADVANCES OUR MISSION TO DEVELOP CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN EURASIA, AND THE UNITED STATES. AND IS COMPRISED OF SEVERAL DISCRETE PROGRAMS. ART PROSPECT FELLOWS ARE CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS AND LEADERS FROM CENTRAL ASIA, CENTRAL EUROPE AND THE CAUCASUS WHO VISIT THE US TO LEARN FIRST-HAND ABOUT CURRENT ARTISTIC AND ARTS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. THE ART PROSPECT FESTIVAL IS HELD ANNUALLY IN ONE OFTHE ART PROSPECT NETWORK COUNTRIES AND ONLINE. THE ART PROSPECT NETWORK CONSISTS OF 13 ORGANIZATIONS AND INDEPENDENT CURATORS FROM 10 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES. THE NETWORK MEETS ANNUALLY IN PERSON OR ONLINE.
  2. #2 $46K
    WEBSITECEC ARTSLINK'S WEBSITE SERVES A VITAL FUNCTION IN OUR TRANSNATIONAL CULTURAL OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY. IN ADDITION TO PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY, AND PARTICIPANT DATA, THE VIDEO PORTAL PERMITS US TO LIVESTREAM EVENTS, AND ARCHIVE ARTISTS VIDEOS AND PROJECTS. THE ARTSLINK INDEX IS A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR NETWORK. THE WEBSITE IS ALSO A VITAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR ALL OUR INTERNATIONAL OPEN CALLS FOR ARTISTS AND CULTURAL LEADERS.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Art Prospect Fellows Program
Brings cultural practitioners and leaders from Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Europe to the U.S. to study contemporary artistic and arts management practices.
Art Prospect Festival of Public Art
Annual festival held in a rotating host country within the Art Prospect Network, featuring socially engaged art projects and performances.
Art Prospect Network
Facilitates cultural exchange through artist residencies, training initiatives, and public art festivals for cultural practitioners from 10 countries in Eurasia, Central Europe, and the Caucasus.
ArtsLink Assembly
Initiative that convenes international artists and curators, such as the Future Fellows, to discuss the future of arts practice through podcasts, workshops, and digital platforms.
CEC ArtsLink Website and ArtLink Index
Digital platform serving as a searchable database of artists and organizations, livestreaming events, archiving projects, and hosting open calls for international participants.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 2 activities
    • Administers multi-phase fellowship programs for transnational artists and arts leaders
      Offers a structured fellowship program that includes online research residencies, six-week in-person immersive residencies in the U.S., and invitation-based follow-up projects in fellows' home countries, supporting community-engaged artistic practices through collaboration with U.S. organizations and artists.
    • Supports artist residencies in post-Soviet and Eastern European countries
      Provides residency opportunities—including travel, visa support, insurance, accommodation, and per diem—for U.S. and international artists and curators in countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, with documented participation of 56 artists from network countries and 12 U.S. artists between 2017–2022, and 31 artists in 2023–2024.
  • Artist Support Grants 2 activities
    • Facilitates professional exchanges and cultural programming in Croatia
      Provides grants and supports projects that increase public awareness of Croatian art and culture, facilitates professional artist exchanges between Croatia and the United States, and reviews proposals through an advisory committee on a quarterly basis.
    • Provides co-creation funding for collaborative artistic projects
      Funds up to $7,500 per project as co-creation support for ArtsLink International Fellows, requiring that it constitute no more than 50% of total project costs, with matching support allowed in-kind from U.S. nonprofit partners.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Co-produces collaborative exhibitions and performance events
      Organized major collaborative exhibitions such as "Flipside" and "H2O: Nordic and Russian Art in Public Spaces," co-produced concert tours like Playing Together, and staged fusion performance events including FlipFest!, connecting U.S. and international artists across disciplines.
  • Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
    • Convenes transnational gatherings and assemblies for artists and cultural leaders
      Hosts annual convenings such as the ArtsLink Assembly and national gatherings for artists at risk, bringing together transnational artists, curators, activists, funders, and researchers to discuss cultural exchange, resilience strategies, and the future of cultural life in contexts affected by war or crisis, including events in Lviv, Ukraine and virtual platforms.
  • Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
    • Implements educational and performance programs for young musicians
      Conducted multi-year workshops and concert tours for young Central Asian musicians, integrating traditional and contemporary techniques, resulting in performances in six Central Asian cities and at the Asia Society in New York City, including the formation of The Bandistan Ensemble.
  • Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 1 activity
    • Maintains a searchable network directory and digital archive
      Operates the Artlink Index, a publicly accessible, searchable database of artists, curators, arts leaders, and organizations within its transnational network, and hosts a video portal for livestreaming and archiving artist projects via its website.
  • Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
    • Organizes public art festivals in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
      Produces annual international public art festivals—such as Art Prospect & Trash 5 Festival and earlier editions in Bishkek and St. Petersburg—that feature temporary, site-specific, and participatory artworks engaging local communities on themes like urban environments, history, and pollution, with hybrid online/on-site formats developed during the pandemic.
  • Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
    • Produces and publishes research on socially engaged art practices
      Conducts and publishes field research on socially engaged and participatory art, including reports on post-Soviet countries, museum practices, speculative narratives, poetry collections, exhibition catalogs, photo books, and historical volumes reflecting on cultural exchange, Cold War-era diplomacy, and artist-led projects.
  • Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
    • Produces multimedia content featuring international artists
      Created a podcast series with interviews from 10 international artists and curators, including full production and post-production services, with episodes and transcripts made publicly available via the CEC ArtsLink website and HowlRound Theater Commons.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Builds capacity through the Art Prospect Network
      Maintains a transnational network of 13 organizations and independent curators from 10 countries, convening annually to plan public art events, artist exchanges, and training in socially engaged art practices, initiated in 2017 to strengthen civic engagement in post-Soviet regions.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$520K
Contributions & grants$497K96%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$23K
expenses
Total expenses$894K
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$387K
Grants paid out$107K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$300K
Cash$293K
Investments$0
Liabilities$151K
Net assets$149K
Liquid reserves3.9 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -45.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SIMON DOVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $125K
board members · 9
  • AMEI WALLACH — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHARLOTTE COHEN — SECRETARY
  • CLYDE E RANKIN III — CHAIR
  • DANIELA KOSTOVA — BOARD MEMBER
  • JANE LOMBARD — CHAIR EMERITA
  • JULIE LANG — BOARD MEMBER
  • LILLY WEI — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARC MEWSHAW — BOARD MEMBER
  • SASHA CHAVCHAVADZE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 46

Who they work with

  • American Committee for St. Petersburg 2003 Coalition — Administered by CEC ArtsLink as part of the St. Petersburg 2003 cultural exchange initiative.
  • Art Prospect Partner — Cooperates with Art Prospect, the central organization of the Art Prospect Network, in organizing public art festivals, residencies, and seminars.
  • Art Prospect Network Network — CEC ArtsLink implements the Art Prospect Network Residency program in partnership with Art Prospect Network organizations across multiple countries.
  • Art Prospect Network Network — Network of 13 organizations and independent curators from 10 countries collaborating on public art events, artist exchanges, and training initiatives.
  • Art in Odd Places Partner — Host organization for site visits and meetings as part of the Art Prospect Fellows program.
  • ArtEast Partner — Partnered with CEC ArtsLink to present the 2017 Art Prospect Festival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking the festival’s first international edition.
  • ArtsLink Index Network — Hosts a searchable directory of artists, curators, arts leaders, and arts organizations within its transnational network.
  • Bang on a Can Partner — Ongoing collaborator in bringing U.S. contemporary music ensembles to Central Asia and facilitating exchanges with Central Asian musicians.
  • Bishkek School of Contemporary Art (BiSCA) Partner — Collaborated with CEC ArtsLink on the Art Prospect & Trash 5 Festival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2023.
  • Bonnie Sue Stein/GOH Productions Partner — Co-produced FlipFest! in New York City in 2008.
  • Chto Delat' Partner — St. Petersburg-based collective collaborating with CEC ArtsLink through the Back Apartment Residency program.
  • Creative Time Partner — Host organization for site visits and meetings as part of the Art Prospect Fellows program.
  • CulturePush Partner — Host organization for site visits and meetings as part of the Art Prospect Fellows program.
  • FFTN Partner — St. Petersburg-based artist-run space collaborating with CEC ArtsLink through the Back Apartment Residency program.
  • Heathcote Art Foundation Funder — Provides ongoing funding for FACE Croatia grants and established the program on January 11, 2000.
  • HowlRound Partner — Produces and supports livestreams and video archives for the ArtsLink Assembly through HowlRound TV.
  • HowlRound Theater Commons Partner — Co-produced and co-hosted the "The Future is Now" podcast series, providing a platform for distribution and access.
  • Kettering Family Philanthropies Funder — Funder of the ArtsLink International Fellowships program.
  • Kunsthalle Nummer Sieben Partner — St. Petersburg-based artist-run space collaborating with CEC ArtsLink through the Back Apartment Residency program.
  • Laundromat Project Partner — Host organization for site visits and meetings as part of the Art Prospect Fellows program.
  • Library of Congress Partner — Partner in implementing the Open World Cultural Leaders program for Russian cultural professionals.
  • Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation Funder — Funder of the ArtsLink International Fellowships program.
  • National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Partnered and provided funding for the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.
  • National Endowment for the Arts Partner — Partner in the ArtsLink Awards program to support artist exchanges.
  • New Museum Partner — Host organization for site visits and meetings as part of the Art Prospect Fellows program.
  • One Big City Partner — Produced collaborative residencies and events engaging NYC diaspora communities through international arts partnerships.
  • Open Place Partner — Partner organization in the production of the ArtsLink Assembly 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
  • Open World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress Funder — Supported the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.
  • Pillə platform Partner — Collaborated with CEC ArtsLink to organize the 2017 Urban Olum public art festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
  • Razom for Ukraine Partner — Supports the Razom ArtsLink Fellowship, a component of the ArtsLink International Fellowships program.
+ 16 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Equity-Centered Selection for Amplifying Marginalized Voices
    methodology: equity-centered-selection
    By prioritizing support for artists engaged in environmental and social justice, particularly those displaced or in exile, we advance cultural equity and address systemic inequities because centering marginalized voices in transnational exchange challenges dominant narratives and fosters more inclusive, decolonized artistic practices.
  • Hybrid, Multi-Channel Cultural Dialogue
    methodology: hybrid_art_engagement
    By combining online platforms, in-person residencies, site-specific projects, and digital tools, we sustain long-term, cross-temporal artistic exchange and broaden access because hybrid formats enable continuity during crises, bypass institutional gatekeepers, and connect dispersed communities across geography and time.
  • Reciprocal and Co-Designed Artistic Collaboration
    methodology: reciprocal_collaboration
    By using a reciprocal collaboration model where artists and host organizations jointly define goals based on mutual needs and strengths, we produce deeper engagement and sustainable impact because co-creation ensures relevance, respect, and shared ownership across cultural contexts.
  • Socially Engaged and Participatory Public Art
    methodology: socially-engaged-art
    By supporting socially engaged, temporary, and site-specific public art that involves community participation, we stimulate dialogue, reimagine urban spaces, and promote positive change because participatory art empowers local communities to confront social issues and histories on their own terms.
  • Transnational Cultural Mobility as Civic Engagement
    methodology: transnational_collaboration
    By enabling artists and arts leaders to engage in transnational mobility and collaboration, we foster global civic engagement, social inclusion, and positive social change because shared artistic experiences break down national and social barriers, build reciprocal understanding, and empower marginalized voices in post-Soviet and other underserved contexts.