Creative Mind: Sarah Arison

As the board chair of the National YoungArts Foundation, Arison represents the new wave of philanthropists who are using their position to address the issues of today

Woman sitting on vintage snowmobile in a stylish room filled with colorful jackets and unique industrial decor.
Sarah Arison with $wagfuture 2812 by David Correa and Alberto Checa, both 2017 YoungArts winners in Visual Arts. The installation was part of the exhibition “IMAGINATIONLAND: Fantastical Narrative,” curated by Derrick Adams for Miami Art Week 2017. Photo: Nick Garcia, Courtesy of National YoungArts Foundation

As the board chair of the National YoungArts Foundation, established by her grandparents Lin and Ted Arison in 1981, Sarah Arison represents the new wave of philanthropists who are using their position to address the issues of today. “The focus on the individual, not just institutions, is important to me,” says Arison, who took over as board chair of MoMA PS1 last year and became president of the American Ballet Theatre, in addition to serving on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art and Americans for the Arts.

Glass-walled building with colorful stained glass designs, illuminated at twilight, set against a vibrant blue sky.
The YoungArts Campus Jewel Box Photo: Greg Clark, Courtesy of National YoungArts Foundation

On the rise: “I just bought a piece by Adam Amram, who received the Daniel Arsham Fellowship through YoungArts. Daniel was also a YoungArts winner, and now he’s a mentor. Watching the growth of these incredible people excites me, and then they become mentors to the next generation.”

Colorful abstract painting of a red truck with large wheels and blue background patterns.
Spaghetti Junction (2020) by Adam Amram. Acrylic and Pigment on Canvas Photo: Courtesy of the Artist
Dancer performing a grand jeté on stage, wearing patterned pants, with dramatic blue lighting in the background.
2020 YoungArts Winner in Dance Tyrone Reese performing at New World Center in Miami as part of National YoungArts Week 2020 Photo: Em Watson courtesy of National YoungArts Foundation

Building community: “MoMA PS1 is focused on being artist-centric. We’re nimble and a smaller institution, so we can pivot quickly and take risks.”

Two women posing together at a formal event with seated guests and artistic decor in the background.
MoMA PS1 Annual Benefit Honoring Sarah Arison, Simone Fattal, Titus Kaphar, and Reginald Dwayne Betts, June 2019. Photo: Austin Donohue
Woman standing next to colorful portrait paintings in an art gallery exhibit with contemporary style.
2020 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts Destiny Moore with her work at the Design, Photography & Visual Arts Exhibition Opening at the YoungArts Campus in Miami as part of National YoungArts Week 2020 Photo: Gesi Schilling, Courtesy of National YoungArts Foundation

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A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2021 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.