The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable remembers and honors the legacy of Polly Kahn Newland, who passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Polly Kahn was a brilliant, wise, and unwaveringly kind leader in arts education, consistently serving as a trusted mentor, confidante, and friend to countless colleagues throughout her career. Her boundless energy, intellectual curiosity, and generous spirit left an indelible mark on organizations like the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, where she served as a Founding Board Member.
The Roundtable plans to share a tribute to Polly at our upcoming Face to Face Conference taking place at Shepard Hall, City College of New York on April 8-9, 2026. A remembrance graciously written by the League of American Orchestras can be found online, and an obituary can also be found on the Czelusniak Funeral Home website.
Donations in Polly’s honor can be made to the Northampton Community Music Center (located at 139 South Street, Northampton MA 01060).
The Roundtable has collected quotes from Polly’s colleagues and friends reflecting on her life and work. Read these tributes about her tremendous impact in the arts education field below.
What a joy it was to have been a colleague of Polly’s at the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable, where both of us served as board members for many, many years. When I think of Polly, what comes to mind is how smart she was; perhaps erudite and brilliant are better words. I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that she came up with the best, most thoughtful ideas during planning for annual conferences and member sessions throughout the years. These were always delivered with grace and kindness and an openness to everybody else’s input. I feel very lucky to have been able to collaborate with her on behalf of those we served in arts education.”
— Fran Van Horn (Founding Board Member of the Roundtable)
Polly Kahn was one of the greats. Her rare combination of wisdom, clear-sightedness, practical knowledge, and robust common sense enormously enriched a vast number of cultural and arts education organizations, notably the Roundtable, but also the Lincoln Center Institute, the 92nd Street Y, the New York Philharmonic, and the League of American Orchestras, to name just a few. But what truly characterized Polly was her compassion and empathy. Her friends were her extended family. She reached out to us with unstinting generosity and loving support during difficulties and celebrated with us exuberantly in times of joy. You could count on Polly for a delicious, comforting cake or transportation to a doctor’s appointment. If you needed a mac and cheese recipe or a robust organizational long-range plan, you went to Polly. I vividly remember, now after long decades, how when I was nursing a leg injury, she noticed my discomfort, asked the reason, and then, patting my back maternally, murmured “you poor guy.” That was Polly. Whether you were a big institution or a friend in distress, she was always there with wise advice, a kind thought, or a literal helping hand.”
— David Shookhoff (Founding Board Member and Former Co-Chair of the Roundtable)
I got to know Polly when we served on the Board of Directors together for the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable. When I became Co-Chair, Polly was a huge support. Coming from a higher education background, I had a lot to learn about board leadership. She sat with me so many times, sometimes over lunch, sometimes even early mornings over breakfast. She had so much grace in the way she would share challenging information, or when she thought I could have done something better. She was also the first one to cheer me on when things went well. She had empathy, energy, and a love for seeing people excel. I think fondly of all the conversations I had with her and feel grateful for the experiences we shared. She was a bright light.”
— Sobha Kavanakudiyil (Program Director, Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at the City College of NY and Chair Emerita of the Roundtable’s Board of Directors)
Polly was a constant throughout my career in arts education, as I think she has been for many of us – a trusted source of advice and a sounding board for new ideas. She was simply brilliant when it came to devising content that addressed the needs of the day, and also in organizational matters. More importantly, she was so empathetic and full of energy, she always made one feel one could accomplish more. It’s hard to believe such a life force has left us.”
— Theodore Wiprud (Former Co-Chair of the Roundtable’s Board of Directors)
I met Polly in 1977 when she was my boss at the Lincoln Center Institute. Since then, she went on to be my mentor, colleague, and, most importantly, friend. One could not wish for a more wonderful boss, mentor, colleague, and friend – so generous of spirit, insightful, caring, honest, curious and filled with such zest. How lucky, how very lucky I feel to have known her all these years. Her memory is a blessing.”
— Madeline Cohen (Director of All Write!, Symphony Space and Former Member of the the Roundtable’s Board of Directors)
From my first day in teaching artistry in the late ‘70s, Polly was already there with wisdom, guidance, kindness, clarity and vision. She was always there, all along the way, as a guide, a sage, a leader, a friend, a haven for sanity—and not just for me, for so many, for the field. She could deliver hard truths with clarity, insightful suggestions that worked, and she made the work so fun. I worked with her in many different contexts, and she was the same wonderful, generous, vibrant, trustworthy, insightful Polly in every situation.”
— Eric Booth (Teaching Artist, Author, Consultant)
I got to know Polly when we served together on the Roundtable Board of Directors. At the time, I was co-chairing the board with Ted Wiprud in a time of significant change for the organization. Polly became both an organizational confidante, professional mentor, and also, very quickly, a dear friend. We bonded over our shared experience living in Germany as children. We laughed a lot about, well, everything because Polly had a terrific sense of humor. Beyond our time with the Roundtable, I continued to meet with Polly for regular enjoyable lunch dates. She mostly wore her signature sharply tailored suits, although in recent years she occasionally dabbled in performance fleece. She asked about my children. She kvelled about her grandchildren. We traded a lot of travel tips. Lunch with Polly was always thought-provoking and delightful in equal measure.
Polly was the kind of friend who pushed you to be better. She often would ask me what my goals were, and where I saw myself and our common field going? What was I reading or listening to? She was generous in connecting me to other people who she thought were doing interesting work. She was a valued, trusted professional mentor to me and encouraged me to mentor others in our field. Polly’s boundless energy, intellectual curiosity, and her commitment to her field and to her friends will continue to inspire me.”
— Kati Koerner (Director of Education, Lincoln Center Theater and Former Co-Chair of the Roundtable’s Board of Directors)
Polly was one of the first people I met when I joined the Roundtable in 2017 and quickly set a precedent for me of what it looks like to be a leader in arts education. Her kindness, sharp wit, and expansive understanding of the field were a guiding light in any space she participated in. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from her and to build off her legacy as one of the founders of Roundtable.”
— Kimberly Olsen (Executive Director, NYC Arts in Education Roundtable)
###