CEC ARTSLINK'S STAFF

Anna Bitkina coordinates the participant nominations of the Open World Cultural Leaders Program for Russian writers, filmmakers, choreographers, theater directors, arts managers and folk artists. She maintains the program’s alumni network and communications. Over the past six years, Anna worked in contemporary art galleries in St. Petersburg and New York; coordinated international literary programs and produced a documentary about identity of young people from post-Soviet countries. She holds a graduate degree from the International Center for Culture and Management (ICCM) in Salzburg, Austria and a BA in visual arts from Smolny College (St.Petersburg State University, Russia) and Bard College (New York). Anna studied philosophy, film and visual arts at the European College of Liberal Arts (ECLA) in Berlin. She is a frequent participant in international conferences and events in the US, Europe and the Caucasus.
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A seasoned arts manager, Fritzie Brown served as Senior Program Director at CEC ArtsLink for nearly a decade prior to assuming the executive directorship in October 2007. Last fall she produced FlipFest!, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the ArtsLink Awards. This evening-long extravaganza brought artists ranging from Czech performance artists to musicians from the Russian tundra to the Lower East Side’s Angel Orensanz Foundation for sizzling performances of theatre, music, dance and more.

During her tenure as Program Director, she streamlined and restructured the ArtsLink Awards program, co-directed the acclaimed internet/residency go_HOME, and developed and produced Flipside, the exhibition and catalogue that celebrated 12 years of ArtsLink exchanges. She came to New York from San Francisco where she was Director of Operations and Interim Executive Director at Headlands Center for the Arts, a cutting-edge international arts center and residency program, before joining CEC 1997.

She has moderated and participated in public panels both in the US and in Europe concerning artists’ communities, visual and performing arts issues. This coming fall, Fritzie will represent CEC ArtsLink as a speaker at the Culturelink Conference in Zagreb as well as a conference on artists’ residencies in Warsaw; she has also served on numerous national and international grant selection panels, and is a member of the Alliance of Artists Communities, ArtTable, and recently completed a term on the College Art Association’s International Committee. She studied fine arts at San Francisco State University and her graphic work and installation have been exhibited in the US, Poland, Croatia and the Slovak Republic.
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Program Coordinator, Open World Cultural Leaders Program
Anan Kadysheva-Yong joined CEC ArtsLink in 2009 and handles publicity and event planning for residencies within the Open World Cultural Leaders Program. Born in Moscow, Russia, Anna is a practicing graphic designer and photographer with a long-running interest in the arts as a vehicle of cross-cultural communication. She previously served as the Art Director for EATS Magazine, and also worked for many years with Moscow International Film Festival as an interpreter. Outside of her work at CEC ArtsLink, she frequently contributes her free time as a volunteer to help organize and run non-profit, participatory arts events in New York City. Anna holds a B.A. in Political Science from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
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Tamalyn Miller organizes and oversees selection, placement and logistics for the ArtsLink Residencies, Independent Projects and ArtsLink Projects programs. She is a practicing artist and has exhibited her artwork and performed with the experimental folk band Goddess at numerous venues including Wave Hill, SculptureCenter, Storefront for Art and Architecture, Deitch Projects and Tonic in New York. Previously she served as Managing Editor of Grand Street Magazine and worked as project manager and fabricator for sculptor Mel Chin, with whom she has collaborated on several projects including In the Name of the Place and S.O.S. (Straight off the Street): Moment.  She has a Masters Degree in Russian Literature from Columbia University and a Masters of Fine Arts from Mills College.
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Chelsey has been Project Coordinator at CEC ArtsLink since December 2007. She is a practicing artist with a particular interest in photography and its role in the processing of personal and institutional memory. She has worked as an artist’s assistant for an installation artist, in the development office at Dartmouth College, and as a researcher in a cultural psychology lab investigating the effects of aesthetic preferences across cultures. Chelsey graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA and a Master’s degree in art history, theory, and criticism.
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Masha Pyshkina manages the Open World Cultural Leaders Program, organizing and overseeing residencies for writers, filmmakers, choreographers, theater directors, arts managers and folk artists. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, she has over ten years of experience administering international exchanges.  She holds a Masters Degree in Arts Administration from New York’s Columbia University, and BA degrees from State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg (English, German and Art History) and from Grinnell College (Economics).
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Elena joined CEC ArtsLink in August 2006. Originally from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, she contributes to the program a unique understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds. Elena’s extensive network of contacts among  the US, Central Asian and Russian non-profits is a result of several years of experience implementing multi-cultural projects across the countries of the former Soviet Union and managing international exchanges. She is a graduate of the Central European University.
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Zhenia’s fourteen years of experience at CEC ArtsLink – from Development Assistant to Events and Communications Manager – are instrumental in successful integration of program, communications and events. She oversees an ongoing stream of newsletters and e-news, creating consistent message and strengthening connections with our constituents and alumni. She has developed and managed many successful fundraising events and initiated CEC ArtsLink Talks, a series of events about contemporary issues in the arts. Ms. Stadnik holds an MA degree in History from Lviv University (Ukraine); she studied Economics and Business Administration at Fordham University, New York.
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Program Manager, VisArt, Central Asia
Anastasia (Nastya) Tolstaya coordinates VisArt projects in Russia and Central Asia working closely with the participants.  She manages the application process and logistics for the Arts Leadership Fellows Program and works closely with Russian funders on grant applications and reporting.  In the past few years, Nastya has also been involved in the development of public art projects in Russia and Central Asia.  Nastya graduated from the St. Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy's Theater Management Department.

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