ST. PETERSBURG 2003

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St. Petersburg's Jubilee in May 2003 brought to its conclusion CEC's 10-year focus on the cultural institutions and arts of St. Petersburg. Our aim beyond 2003 is to offer a well-defined strategy for cultural partnerships, professional exchanges and arts projects linking Russia and the U.S. CEC's program has already expanded to include other cities throughout Russia, and we are planning new projects in Central Asian countries and the Caucasus region.

CEC's “St. Petersburg 2003 program functioned as an umbrella for collaborative Russian-American cultural projects. CEC's established expertise and long-standing networks in the U.S. and in Russia enabled us to serve effectively as an advisor to and intermediary between cultural organizations and arts professionals of the two countries.

Our goal was to help realize the full potential of St. Petersburg's enormous cultural resources and encourage greater interaction between Russian and American artists and cultural institutions. CEC's St. Petersburg projects—
  • Provided resources for professional staff development
  • Presented contemporary American art and artists
  • Discovered opportunities for broader international collaboration

Activities, 1993-2003

CEC raised and committed $ 1.25 million (as of June 2003) for direct costs of exchanges. (That sum does not include CEC administrative costs.) We worked with Russian and American partners in the following areas:
  • Performing Arts: Performances, festivals, concerts, master classes and seminars in music and dance
  • Visual Arts: Exhibitions, presentations, master classes and workshops
  • Museums/Libraries: Ongoing museum staff exchanges, seminars on management and curatorial topics
  • Arts Management and Policy: Conferences, seminars and workshops on cultural policy, management and development
CEC administered the American Committee for St. Petersburg 2003, chaired by William H. Luers; and the 2003 Coalition, a loose affiliation of U.S. cultural organizations formed in 1999 to share information and coordinate events and projects related to St. Petersburg's tercentenary celebration.
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Photo by Barbara A. Niemczyk

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Photo by Michael Brainerd