Statement of Purpose

• To establish and maintain lines of communication and an exchange of information among professional women in the arts and media, including our teaching colleagues, so that we can better serve the artist.
• To raise the standard of excellence in the performing arts and media by merging the creative expertise of our members, and making their work more accessible to a larger constituency.
• To help young people develop careers in the arts and media through the collective efforts of our member organizations to preserve our cultural heritage and build on it for the future.
• To address and actively pursue improvement in underlying social conditions, such as education, health care and equal opportunity, which affect the quality of life in our community and in the nation.

Our History

From a modest committee formed to help women connect across disciplines, a new coalition of women emerged in 1989. Here is one co-founder's recollection of the beginnings of the New York Coalition of Women in the Arts and Media. 

"Our Beginnings" by Elsa Rael, co-founder

In September 1989, four Board members of The League of Professional Theatre Women formed a special events committee consisting of Joan Vail Thorne (dramatist, director), Lenore DeKoven (director, producer, educator), Doris Cole Abrahams (producer), and me, Elsa Rael (playwright, author). It was the beginning of the season and our mission was to come up with additional events and fresh programming to present to the general membership.

Among many of the ideas presented was one by DeKoven, who told us of an incredible three-day event sponsored by the West Coast Women in Film for the purpose of inter-organizational networking. She thought we might duplicate such a project on the East Coast. Although we loved the idea, we agreed it would undoubtedly take several years to organize the funding through grants, arrange for housing, venues and so on.

I wanted something more immediate to present to the League’s Board. I suggested an invitational meeting – perhaps a luncheon – with the presidents and officers of “sister” organizations in related fields of the performing arts. The purpose of such a meeting would be the sharing and discussion of mutual problems and goals, and to become aware of other organizations in the field. One of the problems common to many performing arts and entertainment organizations (women’s in particular) was affordable health insurance coverage. This was certainly an issue that needed to be addressed. 

Thorne was immediately taken with the idea, which she called a “quick fix” solution. Once the League Board approved it, I called each of the organizations (AFTRA, Writers Guild, etc.) and ultimately, after much explaining and patience, I got to the officers. The response was beyond enthusiasm!

Two Board members from each of the organizations came, excited to participate. A catered luncheon meeting was held at the home of then League co-president Lynda Sturner and was chaired by co-president Berenice Weiler. We called the organization The New York Coalition of Professional Women in the Arts (upon hearing of this new organization, Women In Communications Inc., or WICI, in the person of Fortuna Calvo Roth, came on board and we added “and Media” to the title). A steering committee was established and we were off and running.

We determined that “the organization was formed for the purposes of information sharing, inter-organizational communication, raising awareness of contributions of women in the arts and media and the support of common social and professional issues.”

The first event was an open meeting of the general members of all the groups, which took place on June 13, 1990, at the YWCA in New York. More than 300 people attended. The interest and need were clear. From that point, we continued to plan events to bring women in the arts and media together.