Commissioners

The Commissioners represent a broad spectrum of the population in terms of their experience and interest in arts and culture. They include visual and performing artists, educators, computer and graphic designers, marketing and promotion professionals, local business owners and entrepreneurs and members of Newburgh's historic and preservation organizations. To reach the Arts Commission, email: arts@cityofnewburgh-ny.gov.

Stuart Sachs (Chair) is a working artist, professor of art at Pratt Institute, designer of furniture and architectural metalwork, and vice president of the Newburgh Preservation Association. To February 2008.

Garin Baker is a professional artist, muralist and illustrator, teacher, and founder/owner of Carriage House Studios. Locally, his murals appear at Restorative Management on Liberty Street and the Trestle mural on the waterfront. To February 2009.

Vincent Cianni, photographer and adjunct professor at Parsons, has exhibited extensively, including solo exhibitions at the Museum of the City of New York and the George Eastman House. His photographs appear in numerous photography journals and anthologies, including the Polaroid Collection.

Karen Conway is an arts professional who has worked as a curator, gallery director and most recently a research consultant at the Whitney Museum. She holds graduate degrees from Harvard University and the University of Leeds. She is also on the board of the Newburgh Preservation Association.

Isaac Diggs is a photographer and an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts. Educated at Bard, Columbia, and Oxford, Mr. Diggs has had solo exhibitions of his work in New York, Philadelphia and Tokyo. To February 2010.

Beth Enser is a management and professional development trainer and coach working in the nonprofit sector in Orange and Westchester counties. She holds a Master's from SUNY New Paltz and is an adjunct professor at Mount Saint Mary College. She is an amateur photographer and musician.

Torrance Harvey is a working actor, partner in a music/artist management company, advisor of the All Star Dance Team and history teacher at Newburgh Free Academy, and a tutor for Glenn E. Hines Memorial Center. To February 2009.

Bernard Perretti is a long-term instructor of drawing & painting at Newburgh Free Academy and of ceramics at Orange County Community College. He is currently engaged in writings and 3-D paintings that explore emerging contemporary issues in human affairs.

Mindy Ross is Associate Vice President, Newburgh Extension Center, Orange County Community College. Ms. Ross was formerly Professor of English at OCCC. She holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University, an M.A.T. from Colgate, and an M.A. in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz. To February 2010.

Gregory Wilson has spent much of his life traveling the globe in a vain attempt to understand the world, taking on roles of idealist, cynic, performer, director, playwright, critic and educator. He teaches acting and theatre history at SUNY New Paltz and works with an environmental foundation.

Martha Zola is a painter whose edgy figurative work and numinous landscapes have been exhibited widely. After earning a Ph.D. in organizational research, she held executive positions at Sloan-Kettering Hospital and the New Jersey and New York Institutes of Technology. She likes dogs.