Heather Lubov is a busy woman, and musically-minded New Yorkers reap the benefits. As the Executive Director of NYC’s City Parks Foundation, Lubov oversees all the organization’s programs, a mix of community enrichment, environmental education, athletics and—of course—arts-oriented endeavors. One of the oldest and largest citywide foundations of its kind in the country, CPF is the only independent nonprofit with a presence throughout The Big Apple’s five boroughs. Its programs are in more than 350 parks, rec centers, and public schools across the city, adding a little homegrown light to more than 425,000 New Yorkers' lives every year.
The crown jewel of CPF’s offerings is SummerStage, New York’s largest free, outdoor performing arts festival, presenting a diverse array of iconic and emerging artists alike. Don’t let the name fool you—SummerStage spans a full six months, running from May through October. They’ve just wrapped their 2018 season, but Lubov’s going to keep cranking, in part preparing for their fabulously revamped venue to come in 2019.
A native New Yorker with more than two decades of nonprofit experience under her belt, Lubov’s got real love for this city and it’s evident in the work she does. She's also a diehard music lover you can spot on the local music scene when she’s not at one of her own events. Her dedication runs deep, and results in some seriously cool community programming. Peep her Art Mixtape music and print pairings below for a taste of her talent. — Jen Bekman + Team 20x200
I’ve just finished a long summer season of City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage outdoor concerts in NYC parks—close to 90 shows in all, ranging from R&B to hip hop, salsa to Americana, and everything in between. You’d think I’d want some silence, but in my spare time, when I’m not at my own show, I’m often at someone else’s, and I always have music on in the background while I work.
Music and art both evoke emotion—they can take me from wherever I am to someplace completely different, instantaneously. They can each (or together), remind me of experience, of feeling, of otherness. This was a really fun exercise. Some pairings are very literal, some are purely emotional. I found that whatever I was feeling while looking at the art had a direct and clear impact on the song it brought to mind. A vicious circle. In the best possible way. — Heather Lubov
1. Under the Munka Moon Selections by Alice Russell // Juke Joint, Melrose, Louisiana by Marion Post Wolcott
2. Amanecer by Bomba Estéreo// Disco Star by John Margolies
3. The Stoop by Little Jackie // Cranberry and Henry, Brooklyn Heights by Jorge Colombo
4. Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa // Boombox by Hollis Brown Thornton
5. Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum // Hatō zu 1 by Uehara Konen
6. Colour the Small One by Sia // Sarah Waiting for the Tide by Laura Bell
7. Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel // Toward Los Angeles, California by Dorothea Lange
9. Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones // CBGB (Stage) by Joseph O. Holmes
10. Hanging On The Telephone by Blondie // Apart Phone by Todd McLellan
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The 411 on Heather Lubov
 Heather Lubov is Executive Director of City Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization that uses arts, sports, environmental education and community building programs to activate New York City’s parks, reaching over 425,000 New Yorkers annually. Previously, she spent six years as Chief Development Officer at Park Avenue Armory, a new arts organization that presents unconventional works in the visual and performing arts that need non-traditional spaces. She spent 14 years at the New York Public Library, most recently as its Vice President for Development, and started her career at The Partnership for the Homeless. A lifelong New Yorker, Heather holds a Bachelor's degree in history from Columbia College and an MPA in nonprofit management from NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. |
