Katie Dixon and Shaun Leonardo to Lead Park into Next Phase of Growth and Community Engagement
Leonardo (left) and Dixon (right) at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long island City, Queens, New York.
QUEENS, NY — Socrates Sculpture Park (Socrates, the Park), a beloved cultural institution and public park in Long Island City, Queens, New York, is excited to announce the transition to a new co-directorship model as it prepares for its 40th anniversary in 2026.
Katie Dixon, who has led the Park since April 2023 will be joined by Shaun Leonardo, a longtime community member and former Socrates staff and Board member, to share leadership as Co-Directors. This leadership expansion marks a pivotal moment for Socrates as it deepens its impact and plans for the future.
This shift comes as part of the Park’s Practice in Public initiative, a three-year framework guiding Socrates through its next phase of growth. The co-directorship model reflects the Park’s commitment to expanding its capacity, fostering collaboration, and preparing for long-term sustainability with creative expression, public service, and environmental stewardship as its guiding principles.
Katie Dixon, who has been at the helm of Socrates as Executive Director after first serving as Interim Executive Director starting in April 2023 stated about the Park’s next chapter: “I am honored to continue my service to Socrates in this important moment for the institution and in partnership with the board and Shaun Leonardo. As we work to expand and strengthen the organization’s culture and practice, I’m mindful of the thousands of artists, activists, and community members who have built this place together over the years, many of whom still work with us today."
Shaun Leonardo, who has been involved with Socrates since his early professional life as a staff member and later as a Board member, is eager to return to the Park in this expanded leadership role: “I am a Queens native. And from the moment I discovered that such a magical place existed in my backyard, I knew that it would be part of my life. Little did I know that soon after achieving my graduate degree, Socrates would occupy the first decade of my young professional life. I have grown with and alongside Socrates and feel both an honor and duty to carry on its commitment to stewardship at the intersection of artistry, activism, and the environment. Engagement with our local community has always felt to me to be the heart of our work, and I could not be more thrilled to return in this capacity, to deepen our devotion to these people and this place as we move into and beyond our 40th year."
The new Socrates co-directorship model will allow for expanded strategic visioning, deeper community collaboration, and a shared responsibility in shaping the Park’s future, particularly in the context of its upcoming 40th anniversary. The leadership structure aims to reinforce Socrates’ history of artist-led activism, environmental stewardship, and community engagement while building the foundation for the next generation of artists and leaders.
Ivana Mestrovic, President, has served on the Board of Directors for many years, stewarding the organization through tremendous growth: “As a free and open public space, Socrates Sculpture Park has long served as a vital cultural and creative hub for the Queens community and beyond. It’s a place where the realities of New York City’s most vibrant borough are reflected and celebrated through the arts. Our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility allows people from all walks of life to engage with dynamic public art, while also fostering a deep connection to our natural environment. As we face growing challenges related to climate change, the Park’s role in conservation and environmental stewardship is more important than ever—not just for New York City, but as a model for the entire country. We’re excited to see how the leadership of Katie and Shaun will continue to champion these values as we move into the next phase of Socrates’ history.”
As Socrates embarks on this transition, the Park’s staff and board are aligned in their commitment to embedding collaboration and accountability into every facet of the organization’s operations, ensuring that it remains a vibrant and essential space for public art and community engagement for decades to come.
Starting in 2025, through the lens of the Practice in Public visioning work, Socrates’ leadership will turn its focus toward planning for its 40th Anniversary in 2026.
For more information about Socrates Sculpture Park, visit socratessculpturepark.org.
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ABOUT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
For over 35 years, Socrates Sculpture Park has been an award winning model of public art production, community activism, and socially inspired place-making. Most recently Socrates was honored with the Public Art Dialogue 2023 Founders Award. Over 1,200 artists have created and exhibited new works on its five waterfront acres and outdoor studio facilities. Past exhibiting artists include Agnes Denes, Jeffrey Gibson, Guadalupe Maravilla, Virginia Overton, Jean Shin, Sable Elyse Smith, Nari Ward, Meg Webster, and Hank Willis Thomas.
Socrates is free and open to the public 365 days a year from 9am to sunset. It is located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard (at Broadway) in Long Island City, New York. Socrates Sculpture Park is a not-for-profit organization licensed by NYC Parks to manage and program Socrates Sculpture Park, a New York City public park.
Katie Dixon Biography
With over two decades of experience working at the intersection of the arts, architecture, and urban planning, Katie Dixon has created cross-sector partnerships and new artist-led programming for a broad range of arts, culture and civic organizations. Her work is based in collaborative research and centers consensus-building and cooperation among many different publics, institutions, government agencies and funders.
From 2014 to 2021, as the CEO of Powerhouse Arts, Dixon established the vision for a new artist-led institution and led the redevelopment and transformation of the former BRT Power Station in Brooklyn, which was named a New York City Landmark in 2019. Dixon and her team conducted intensive workshops and consultations with artists to develop the institution’s programming, organizational structure and physical planning. Powerhouse was a response to the needs for production space, fabrication expertise and support for artists working in traditional materials that is rapidly disappearing in New York City. In addition to the institutional development, Dixon led all aspects of programming and rehabilitating the 170,000 square-foot facility designed by architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron.
Dixon served as the Director of Special Projects at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) from 2011 to 2014 where she established public art programming initiatives in the neighborhood, including works by KAWS and David Byrne. With BAM’s executive team, she also led capital and program planning efforts to grow and expand the institution. Prior to BAM, she was the Chief of Staff at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs leading special initiatives for the Commissioner, as well as, overseeing the agency’s $700 million capital funding portfolio. From 2007 to 2010 as the Director of Planning and Development at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, she led the site development, arts program planning and administration of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District.
Dixon holds B.A. in Architecture from Yale University and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and daughter in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Shaun Leonardo Biography
Shaun Leonardo has dedicated over 15 years of his professional career to arts administration at the intersection of community engagement, public programming, and experimental pedagogies. Deeply invested in processes of reciprocal exchange, Leonardo's work flows from a belief in collaborative leadership and artistic visioning.
Leonardo's professional life began at the Park (2005-2015) as its special events manager before expanding into the role of Socrates' Director of Public Programs. Over 11 seasons, he envisioned and created new program initiatives and educational curriculum, including the development of the Park's first workshop series dedicated to adults and teens and the implementation of Socrates' first onsite and in-school high school-level, sculpture classes. His tenure was marked by collaboration with over 40 cultural and community organizations, leading to the establishment of the Park's Healthy Living and Performance initiatives, as well as the tripling of the park’s educational offerings.
From 2015-2017, Leonardo served at the New Museum's first Manager of School, Youth & Community Programs, developing programs and accommodations for specific audience groups, both those under the umbrella of school partnerships, designed for high school teachers and students, and new initiatives in the area of community engagement.
From 2018-2020, Leonardo acted as Pratt Institute's inaugural School of Art Visiting Fellow, instigating dialogues amongst students, faculty, and staff, as well as others outside the Institute, to challenge ideas on community and belonging, while shaping possibilities of ethical community engagement.
And most recently, Leonardo served as Co-Director of the Brooklyn-based Recess, helping guide the organization's continuous evolution as an engine of social change. Shaun joined Recess in 2016, initiating the art-based diversion program Assembly as its project and curricular lead, while also acting as the project's first facilitator. Over the course of nearly 9 years, Shaun continued to expand his role, ultimately being invited to fill the organization’s first co-directorship with founder Allison Freedman Weisberg in 2021. And during the last almost four years, Shaun took on the effort of guiding Recess through the pandemic onto thriving both programmatically and fiscally. His time was dedicated to internally operationalizing care and accountability, while pushing experimentation within the org's external-facing programming.
He is a Brooklyn-based artist from Queens, New York City, He received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and is a recipient of support from Creative Capital, Guggenheim Social Practice, Art for Justice and A Blade of Grass. His work has been featured at The Guggenheim Museum, the High Line, New Museum, MASS MoCA and The Bronx Museum, and profiled in the New York Times and CNN. His first major public art commission, Between Four Freedoms, premiered at Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, in the fall of 2021. Shaun lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.
Katie Dixon, who has led the Park since April 2023 will be joined by Shaun Leonardo, a longtime community member and former Socrates staff and Board member, to share leadership as Co-Directors. This leadership expansion marks a pivotal moment for Socrates as it deepens its impact and plans for the future.
This shift comes as part of the Park’s Practice in Public initiative, a three-year framework guiding Socrates through its next phase of growth. The co-directorship model reflects the Park’s commitment to expanding its capacity, fostering collaboration, and preparing for long-term sustainability with creative expression, public service, and environmental stewardship as its guiding principles.
Katie Dixon, who has been at the helm of Socrates as Executive Director after first serving as Interim Executive Director starting in April 2023 stated about the Park’s next chapter: “I am honored to continue my service to Socrates in this important moment for the institution and in partnership with the board and Shaun Leonardo. As we work to expand and strengthen the organization’s culture and practice, I’m mindful of the thousands of artists, activists, and community members who have built this place together over the years, many of whom still work with us today."
Shaun Leonardo, who has been involved with Socrates since his early professional life as a staff member and later as a Board member, is eager to return to the Park in this expanded leadership role: “I am a Queens native. And from the moment I discovered that such a magical place existed in my backyard, I knew that it would be part of my life. Little did I know that soon after achieving my graduate degree, Socrates would occupy the first decade of my young professional life. I have grown with and alongside Socrates and feel both an honor and duty to carry on its commitment to stewardship at the intersection of artistry, activism, and the environment. Engagement with our local community has always felt to me to be the heart of our work, and I could not be more thrilled to return in this capacity, to deepen our devotion to these people and this place as we move into and beyond our 40th year."
The new Socrates co-directorship model will allow for expanded strategic visioning, deeper community collaboration, and a shared responsibility in shaping the Park’s future, particularly in the context of its upcoming 40th anniversary. The leadership structure aims to reinforce Socrates’ history of artist-led activism, environmental stewardship, and community engagement while building the foundation for the next generation of artists and leaders.
Ivana Mestrovic, President, has served on the Board of Directors for many years, stewarding the organization through tremendous growth: “As a free and open public space, Socrates Sculpture Park has long served as a vital cultural and creative hub for the Queens community and beyond. It’s a place where the realities of New York City’s most vibrant borough are reflected and celebrated through the arts. Our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility allows people from all walks of life to engage with dynamic public art, while also fostering a deep connection to our natural environment. As we face growing challenges related to climate change, the Park’s role in conservation and environmental stewardship is more important than ever—not just for New York City, but as a model for the entire country. We’re excited to see how the leadership of Katie and Shaun will continue to champion these values as we move into the next phase of Socrates’ history.”
As Socrates embarks on this transition, the Park’s staff and board are aligned in their commitment to embedding collaboration and accountability into every facet of the organization’s operations, ensuring that it remains a vibrant and essential space for public art and community engagement for decades to come.
Starting in 2025, through the lens of the Practice in Public visioning work, Socrates’ leadership will turn its focus toward planning for its 40th Anniversary in 2026.
For more information about Socrates Sculpture Park, visit socratessculpturepark.org.
###
ABOUT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
For over 35 years, Socrates Sculpture Park has been an award winning model of public art production, community activism, and socially inspired place-making. Most recently Socrates was honored with the Public Art Dialogue 2023 Founders Award. Over 1,200 artists have created and exhibited new works on its five waterfront acres and outdoor studio facilities. Past exhibiting artists include Agnes Denes, Jeffrey Gibson, Guadalupe Maravilla, Virginia Overton, Jean Shin, Sable Elyse Smith, Nari Ward, Meg Webster, and Hank Willis Thomas.
Socrates is free and open to the public 365 days a year from 9am to sunset. It is located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard (at Broadway) in Long Island City, New York. Socrates Sculpture Park is a not-for-profit organization licensed by NYC Parks to manage and program Socrates Sculpture Park, a New York City public park.
Katie Dixon Biography
With over two decades of experience working at the intersection of the arts, architecture, and urban planning, Katie Dixon has created cross-sector partnerships and new artist-led programming for a broad range of arts, culture and civic organizations. Her work is based in collaborative research and centers consensus-building and cooperation among many different publics, institutions, government agencies and funders.
From 2014 to 2021, as the CEO of Powerhouse Arts, Dixon established the vision for a new artist-led institution and led the redevelopment and transformation of the former BRT Power Station in Brooklyn, which was named a New York City Landmark in 2019. Dixon and her team conducted intensive workshops and consultations with artists to develop the institution’s programming, organizational structure and physical planning. Powerhouse was a response to the needs for production space, fabrication expertise and support for artists working in traditional materials that is rapidly disappearing in New York City. In addition to the institutional development, Dixon led all aspects of programming and rehabilitating the 170,000 square-foot facility designed by architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron.
Dixon served as the Director of Special Projects at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) from 2011 to 2014 where she established public art programming initiatives in the neighborhood, including works by KAWS and David Byrne. With BAM’s executive team, she also led capital and program planning efforts to grow and expand the institution. Prior to BAM, she was the Chief of Staff at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs leading special initiatives for the Commissioner, as well as, overseeing the agency’s $700 million capital funding portfolio. From 2007 to 2010 as the Director of Planning and Development at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, she led the site development, arts program planning and administration of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District.
Dixon holds B.A. in Architecture from Yale University and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and daughter in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Shaun Leonardo Biography
Shaun Leonardo has dedicated over 15 years of his professional career to arts administration at the intersection of community engagement, public programming, and experimental pedagogies. Deeply invested in processes of reciprocal exchange, Leonardo's work flows from a belief in collaborative leadership and artistic visioning.
Leonardo's professional life began at the Park (2005-2015) as its special events manager before expanding into the role of Socrates' Director of Public Programs. Over 11 seasons, he envisioned and created new program initiatives and educational curriculum, including the development of the Park's first workshop series dedicated to adults and teens and the implementation of Socrates' first onsite and in-school high school-level, sculpture classes. His tenure was marked by collaboration with over 40 cultural and community organizations, leading to the establishment of the Park's Healthy Living and Performance initiatives, as well as the tripling of the park’s educational offerings.
From 2015-2017, Leonardo served at the New Museum's first Manager of School, Youth & Community Programs, developing programs and accommodations for specific audience groups, both those under the umbrella of school partnerships, designed for high school teachers and students, and new initiatives in the area of community engagement.
From 2018-2020, Leonardo acted as Pratt Institute's inaugural School of Art Visiting Fellow, instigating dialogues amongst students, faculty, and staff, as well as others outside the Institute, to challenge ideas on community and belonging, while shaping possibilities of ethical community engagement.
And most recently, Leonardo served as Co-Director of the Brooklyn-based Recess, helping guide the organization's continuous evolution as an engine of social change. Shaun joined Recess in 2016, initiating the art-based diversion program Assembly as its project and curricular lead, while also acting as the project's first facilitator. Over the course of nearly 9 years, Shaun continued to expand his role, ultimately being invited to fill the organization’s first co-directorship with founder Allison Freedman Weisberg in 2021. And during the last almost four years, Shaun took on the effort of guiding Recess through the pandemic onto thriving both programmatically and fiscally. His time was dedicated to internally operationalizing care and accountability, while pushing experimentation within the org's external-facing programming.
He is a Brooklyn-based artist from Queens, New York City, He received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and is a recipient of support from Creative Capital, Guggenheim Social Practice, Art for Justice and A Blade of Grass. His work has been featured at The Guggenheim Museum, the High Line, New Museum, MASS MoCA and The Bronx Museum, and profiled in the New York Times and CNN. His first major public art commission, Between Four Freedoms, premiered at Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, in the fall of 2021. Shaun lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.