Who

The retired head of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lichtenstein is the man responsible for turning BAM into one of New York's premier arts institutions.

Backstory

Brooklyn native Lichtenstein started out as a dancer in the 1950s and later worked as a subscriptions manager for the New York City Ballet and the New York City Opera. When he was hired to head up the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1967, the venerable institution was in peril. Founded in 1908, BAM was hosting very few performances, and there was even talk of converting the site into tennis courts. Lichtenstein oversaw a spectacular revitalization over the next 32 years, renovating everything from the building itself to the range of performances, and fashioning BAM into a must attend venue for culture-seeking New Yorkers. The Next Wave festival, which Lichtenstein introduced in 1983, continues to provide exposure for cutting-edge artists from around the world who might otherwise have struggled to be showcased at a major venue; beneficiaries over the years have included Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, Merce Cunningham, Bill T. Jones, Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris.

In 1999, Lichtenstein stepped down—he handed the reins to Karen Brooks Hopkins, who's BAM's president, and Joseph Melillo, who's BAM's creative impresario—but he remains a towering figure in the arts community. John Rockwell of the New York Times once described Lichtenstein as "the most innovative and influential performing arts administrator New York has known."

Recently

Lichtenstein didn't slow down much after giving up the top job at BAM. He's been a driving force behind plans to revive Fort Greene with the BAM Cultural District, a $650 million project that will include the construction of new theaters, parks, and dance studios. Alas, the massive project has been mired in red tape for years. More than half a decade after beginning the planning process, they've yet to break ground, and Lichtenstein's proposal, which involved a master plan by architects Elizabeth Diller, Ricardo Scofidio, and Charles Renfro, was scrapped after oversight of the project was transferred to a new group, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. (The Work Architecture Company is now heading up the planning efforts; Lichtenstein remains involved, albeit in a reduced capacity.) The project's first structure—a $38 million glass and stainless steel building—is being designed by Frank Gehry and Hugh Hardy.

Trophy case

Following his departure, BAM named its Majestic Theater in Lichtenstein's honor in 1999. It's now the BAM Harvey Lichtenstein Theater. He also received a National Medal for the Arts from President Bill Clinton.

Personal

Lichtenstein and his wife Rita live, as you might expect, in Brooklyn.