Erica Fee, CEO and founding festival producer of the Rochester Fringe Festival, has been appointed to the New York State Council on the Arts by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The council is the governing body responsible for voting on public arts funding across New York.
As a council member, Fee will help determine how millions of dollars in public arts grants are distributed to artists and cultural organizations.
Fee said her experience building and leading the Rochester Fringe Festival has prepared her for the role. The festival is one of the largest of its kind in the country, draws artists and audiences from across the region and around the world, and, Fee said, involves partnerships with many local venues and arts organizations.
“It also allows for really a very intense period of collaboration between these groups because Fringe audiences really expect something new,” she said. "So I think that I'm well positioned to take on this role, because I have been able to interact with so many different organizations as part of my Fringe role.”
Fee also emphasized the broader value of public investment in the arts for economic development and cultural identity.
“We know that art organizations are typically not very loud in terms of the economic impact that they provide to a community,” she said. “But in fact, the creative economy, especially in this region, is incredibly impactful.”
Fee’s five-year term begins immediately. Despite balancing the demands of the Fringe Festival, a new production company, and other creative ventures, Fee said she is ready to take on the challenge.
“I'm hoping to not sleep for the next five years,” she said, laughing. “So if I can actually fulfill that plan, that I think I'll be okay.”
As a native of upstate New York, Fee said she hopes to use her seat on the council to amplify the needs and strengths of communities outside New York City.
The Rochester Fringe Festival returns this fall from September 9-20. The full performance lineup will be announced July 16.
