Americans for the Arts presents our Annual Leadership Awards as part of the 2020 virtual convening of the Annual Convention and Public Art & Civic Design Conference. These awards recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations committed to enriching their communities through the arts.

Christen Boone is the President & CEO of the Fund for the Arts in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the country’s largest privately funded regional arts agencies. Christen has served as Chair of the Private Sector Council for Americans for the Arts, helping to inspire innovative collaborations between arts and business across the country. From Fortune 100 companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, Christen has developed thousands of unique partnerships between the creative and private sectors, driving workplace culture, client cultivation, project innovation, DEI initiatives, and social impact. 

As a social entrepreneur, Christen has leveraged the power of the arts and parks to build stronger, more vibrant communities. The Fund for the Arts drives arts access, education, and innovation; raises more than $8 million annually; and supports more than 100 organizations, artists, and initiatives. Before joining the Fund in 2014, Christen served in leadership roles for some of the country’s most treasured cultural institutions. She has raised more than $250 million for organizations including Actors Theatre of Louisville, High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Cincinnati’s Artswave, and Parklands of Floyds Fork, one of the nation’s largest new urban parks. She founded the Boone Group, coaching and consulting in nonprofit and community development. Christen serves on nonprofit boards focused on economic development, education, the social sector, and creative industries locally, regionally, and nationally.