REMEMBERING
THEODORE S. BERGER
(1940-2026)
It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of our longtime Board member, friend, and influential advocate Theodore S. Berger (1940-2026). Ted died peacefully on January 29, 2026, surrounded by family and friends. Across years of service to HB Studio and to the wider cultural field, he remained steadfast in his commitment to artists, the arts, and social justice. Donations in Ted’s memory may be made to HB Studio.
“Ted was one of the most gracious, giving and thoughtful people I have ever met. Whenever the HB board members or the executive team wrestled with challenging topics, we would inevitably want to know what Ted thought. He brought a perspective rooted in great practical experience with innumerable NYC arts organizations, coupled with a deep understanding of HB’s mission.” – Dr. Wallace Johnson, Treasurer, Board of Directors
Ted leaves behind an indelible legacy. He began a career in advocacy when, as a recent graduate of Columbia University’s Master’s in Literature program, he was appointed as Assistant Dean. Setting a standard of moral strength that would resound throughout his career, Ted resigned from that position in protest of the school’s suppression of student activism in the late 1960s. Over the decades, Ted continued to champion art as an urgent tool for social progress. In 1973, he was hired by the New York Foundation for the Arts as the country’s first statewide Artists-In-School’s coordinator, ensuring that marginalized students found access to the potential of art to describe their own realities and imagine brighter futures.
Ted went on to serve as NYFA’s Executive Director from 1980 to 2005, stewarding the city and its artists through the AIDS crisis, the Culture Wars, the Giuliani Administration, 9/11, and ongoing gentrification. Ted tirelessly worked directly with individual artists, advocated for cultural and economic policies that ensured the survival of the city’s creative communities and fought for creators’ ability to make groundbreaking and avant-garde works in literature, film, theatre, music and visual arts. He was proudly associated with early works by Spike Lee, Tony Kushner, Suzan-Lori Parks, Meredith Monk, and Shirin Neshat.
Across years of service to HB Studio and to the wider cultural field, he remained steadfast in his commitment to artists, the arts, and social justice. Beyond HB, Ted was the Executive Director Emeritus of New York Foundation for the Arts, an institution that transformed access, visibility and resources for artists across New York State. His legacy lives on in the countless artists and organizations strengthened by his vision including Arts Connection, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, The Center at West Park, Cue Art Foundation, The Cultural Solidarity Fund, The Design Trust for Public Space, The Indie Theater Fund, Leimay, The National Coalition for Arts Preparedness, New Yorkers for Culture and the Arts, Participant Inc, and WeisAcres. At the suggestion of his family, donations in Ted’s memory will be gratefully accepted by either HB Studio or any of the above organizations.
