Taskforce on the Arts

The Taskforce on the Arts was commissioned in spring 2024 to elevate and advance the arts at Johns Hopkins. As a world-class research university, we aspire to demonstrate a commitment to excellence and a record of achievement across a wide range of disciplines. While Johns Hopkins has always taken seriously its commitment to the arts, we recognize the need for a comprehensive, institution-wide vision to guide our future in the arts. Through the Taskforce, we aim integrate the arts more fully into the intellectual life of the university by:

• Strengthening our cultural programs and academic offerings
• Elevating the visibility of the arts as a core strength of the institution
• Enriching the campus and learning experiences for students, faculty, and staff
• Reinvigorating our connection to Baltimore and communities worldwide

The Charge

Appointed by Provost Jayawardhana, the Taskforce on the Arts will engage the Hopkins community to identify and evaluate areas of opportunity for the arts across the university and develop specific recommendations for implementation. Specific work the Taskforce will undertake includes:

1. Outreach and broad consultation with students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, government officials, and the Baltimore community to assess the current landscape of arts education, programming, and partnerships.
2. Conduct a study of peer institutions to identify best practices and distinctive areas of opportunity for Hopkins.
3. Prepare a comprehensive report on the University’s current arts landscape and articulate a set of near- and long-term recommendations to advance the arts across our campus and curriculum, including providing estimates of required resources, implementation requirements, and timing. 
4. Identify areas for new investment and transformational change to strengthen the quality of our offerings and enhance our commitments to the arts and culture both globally and locally.

The Taskforce will present its report and recommendations in the spring term of 2025, in time to begin implementation of the new Arts Vision as part of the University’s 150th Anniversary in 2026.

Taskforce Leadership

The Taskforce on the Arts is led by Dr. Daniel Weiss, Homewood Professor of the Humanities and President Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with staffing support from Julie Messersmith, Chief of Staff and Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives; and Kristin Blanchfield, Senior Associate Vice President for Philanthropic Partnerships.  

The taskforce consists of 15 members selected from across the University and Medicine community, including students, faculty, staff, and Trustees.

• Tunde Ayodeji, Mechanical Engineering Major ’26, Whiting School of Engineering; Music Minor ’26, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
• Cybele Bjorklund, Vice President for Federal Strategy; Executive Director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center
• Margaret Burri, Associate Director for Academic Liaison and Special Collections, Sheridan Libraries and Museums
• Anna Celenza, Professor of Musicology, Peabody Institute; Professor in The Writing Seminars, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
• Lisa Cooper, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, School of Medicine, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and School of Nursing
• Carl DuPont, Associate Professor of Voice, Peabody Institute
• John Gardner, Master of Business Administration ’25, Carey Business School
• Sarah Hoover, Associate Dean for Innovation in the Arts and Health, Peabody Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Jennifer Kingsley, Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Museums and Society, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
• Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts and Mind Lab, Pedersen Brain Institute
• Dean Moyar, Vice Dean for Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
• Jackie O’Regan, Curator of Cultural Properties, Sheridan Libraries and Museums
• Carmine Petrone, Krieger Alumnus ’04; Trustee, JHU; Chair, Sheridan Libraries Advisory Board
• Corrine Sandone, Director of the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, School of Medicine
• Jacoba Urist, Krieger Alumna ’98, MA ’99
• Nicoleen Willson, Director of the Office of Arts and Innovation, Student Affairs

Get Involved

Join us as we shape the future of arts at Johns Hopkins!

Stay tuned for:

• Opportunities to provide input during campus-wide consultations
• Information about arts-related events and programs

Contact Us

Questions or suggestions? Please email Lily Gretz: [email protected]