‘The future is promising.’ ArtesMiami elects new chair to board of directors

Cuban-American philanthropist and public relations professional María C. Bechily has been named Chair of the Board of Directors of ArtesMiami Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes the work of Cuban-American artists and cultural institutions.

“I am honored to have been chosen by the board to preside over such a prestigious nonprofit group as ArtesMiami,” said Bechily. “The programs and artists that ArtesMiami supports are critical to strengthening Miami’s position as an international center for art and culture. I look forward to providing strategic leadership to our board so that we can further develop the organization.”

During an interview with el Nuevo Herald, the philanthropist said that the arts are very important for the economic development of a city like Miami, which is a magnet for tourism while many of its residents are committed to artistic expression “because art is a key part of the quality of life.”

As for the organization’s immediate plans, she said that at the moment she is adding the finishing touches to a program aimed at Cuban-American filmmakers and directors who work on a project about the Cuban diaspora.

“We hope to launch it in the coming weeks, and we are sure that it will be a great boost for small productions that will enrich the country’s small film companies,” she added. “I would also like to strengthen the profile of the organization together with its founder Aida Levitán, but we already know that to achieve this, we need time, money and a lot of passion.”

For her part, Levitán, the president of ArtesMiami, clarified that she has not left the organization.

Aida Levitán, president and founder of ArtesMiami
Aida Levitán, president and founder of ArtesMiami

“I haven’t stopped working as President and offering all my services, as I have always done, for free, and without stopping making donations,” said the founder. “But now we have María, one of the most important Hispanic philanthropists in the United States, in the cultural arena, who will help us lead the strategies for the organization to grow with its board of directors.”

Referring to the greatest achievement of ArtesMiami during her tenure as president, Levitán mentioned the support for major Hispanic cultural organizations in South Florida, for the theater, literature, art exhibitions, museums, “such as the Pérez Art Museum,” and concerts of classical and popular music, “like the one dedicated to the danzón.”

Regarding the future of the organization, Bechily said that she sees it as “bright.”

“ArtesMiami is located in a city where the arts enjoy the preference of its residents. You should see how new cultural options arise every day, with people and institutions willing to support them financially. There is no doubt that the future is promising,” she said.

Born in Matanzas, Bechily came to the United States in 1961 during Operation Pedro Pan. Among her achievements is the creation of one of the first public relations and marketing agencies to identify and reach Hispanic consumers in Chicago. Her list of clients included Peoples Energy, Anheuser-Busch Companies, the Kraft Foundation, the Terra Museum of American Art, the Illinois Attorney General, and Hoy, a Spanish-language publication of the Chicago Tribune.

In addition to her work reaching Latinos in Chicago, she hosted Spanish-language television shows on WSNS-TV, Channel 44, for which she earned two Emmy nominations.

Bechily has a vast experience in government and public policy, having worked for a former U.S. senator from Illinois. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the Pérez Art Museum Miami. She is a life trustee of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where she is also the founding chair of the board’s education committee. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Chicago Community Trust and founding co-president of Nuestro Futuro, a foundation that promotes philanthropy among Latinos. Bechily is also a life trustee of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation. During her tenure on the board, she co-chaired Enhancing our Lives, a $207 million capital campaign.

The philanthropist holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Loyola University in Chicago and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

ArtesMiami Inc. began in 1995 to organize and sponsor the Seville Fair in Miami and later the Spain Fair in Miami. Led by publicist and philanthropist Levitán, the organization has donated more than $2.7 million in services and cash to cultural organizations and artists, mainly in South Florida. Its most recent program is the ArtesMiami Film Fund, which will donate thousands of dollars to documentary filmmakers.