Americas Society, Inc.

Policy and culture sound like two dissimilar concepts. But for Americas Society, Inc., they coalesce to achieve a powerful common goal: To foster an understanding of political, social, and economic issues facing Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States, while increasing public awareness of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas.

Founded by David Rockefeller in 1965, Americas Society collaborates with its sister organization, Council of the Americas, to present programs designed to deepen inter-regional cooperation. Just last year, the non-profit organizations hosted nearly 200 public policy programs in New York City, Washington, D.C., Miami and Latin America.

Americas Society's policy journal, Americas Quarterly, is the only publication of its kind dedicated to presenting fresh ideas and analysis to enrich regional dialogue in the Western Hemisphere. The well-respected journal is linked to an online community of youth, journalists, civic leaders, social entrepreneurs, students and scholars, engaging a new generation of public and private sector leaders.

"For more than four decades, Americas Society has successfully promoted economic and social development throughout our hemisphere," said Susan Segal, president and CEO of America's Society/Council of the Americas. "We're proud to be the premier organization dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue within the western world."

In support of this mission, the New York-based Americas Society also provides a variety of local cultural programs free of charge, in the realms of literature, music and the visual arts.

Each year, Americas Society presents the Music of the Americas concert series. Through the organization's Music Education Program, thousands of public schoolchildren in Queens, New York, are exposed to music from Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada.

Americas Society's Literature Program offers bilingual readings, lectures, book presentations and conferences. The organization's Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas features selections of poetry, fiction, creative essays and interviews.

Presenting three exhibitions a year, Americas Society's Visual Arts Program boasts the longest-standing non-profit, private space in the U.S. dedicated to exhibiting art from Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund awarded Americas Society a $70,000 grant to support the creation of site-specific work in two exhibitions. The "Carlos Cruz-Diez: (In) formed by Color" and "Dias & Reidweg ... and it becomes something else" both earned rave reviews and helped break gallery attendance records.

"Our innovative exhibitions are organized with foresight, curatorial rigor and creativity," said Segal.

Over the last six years, Americas Society has strengthened and rejuvenated its organizational structure, expanding staff and policy-based programmatic activity throughout the hemisphere. Adds Segal: "With impactful content and a forward-thinking agenda, we will continue to bring together the public and private sectors to achieve positive outcomes for the Americas."