Berklee’s Ty-Juana L. Flores Appointed Board Chair of the Boston Cultural Council

Ty-Juana Flores, director of Identity-Based Programs (IBP) at Berklee, has been appointed Board Chair of the Boston Cultural Council (BCC) for the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC), Flores will oversee the strategic direction of the grant program and provide final approval of the selected grantees with member councils and the Grant Advisory Team.

BCC offers general operating grants to small and mid-sized nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations, as well as unincorporated entities and artist collectives, providing innovative arts, cultural, and creative programming that advances a vibrant, creative, and just Boston, while enhancing quality of life in the city.

“As a resident of Dorchester, arts administrator, and proud Bostonian, I am truly honored to have been selected as Board Chair of the Boston Cultural Council for Mayor Wu's Office of Arts and Culture,” said Flores. “This role is both a privilege and a responsibility that I deeply cherish. It provides me with a unique opportunity to advocate for the arts while playing a pivotal role in supporting the sustainability of independent artists and arts organizations. These creative pioneers are the driving force behind Boston’s cultural vibrancy and, by ensuring their continued growth, we invest in a future where creativity flourishes and artistic voices continue to inspire and transform our community.”

Under her leadership of Identity-Based Programs at Berklee, Flores oversees a portfolio of student engagement and success initiatives, including the RISE First-Generation, Black Scholars Initiative (BSI), and SOMOS Latinx programs. Berklee's Identity-Based Programs play a critical role in helping students achieve their personal and academic goals by fostering meaningful and inclusive campus-wide connections through comprehensive support services, such as peer and professional mentoring opportunities and student-centric programs, workshops, and events. 

A proud Afro-Latina with Panamanian roots, the Roxbury native is dedicated to building a better world through education and performing arts. During her 13-year tenure at Berklee, Flores has held several administrative roles with the Office of the Provost, the Liberal Arts and Africana Studies Departments, and Berklee's Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship.

Flores is a change agent who is passionate about building an equitable arts and culture ecosystem in Boston. She previously served as the director of grants and programs for MOAC, where she was responsible for strategy and implementation of grants to organizations and individual artists, public programs, workshops, and programmatic partnerships. Prior to becoming a higher education professional, she worked for several private label companies and studios in New York City that produced womenswear apparel for brands such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Lord & Taylor.