Brandi Stewart

Brandi Stewart is the senior program officer for the arts at the Doris Duke Foundation and works with staff to plan, implement, review and evaluate the program’s goals and strategies. She is also currently serving as the interim program director of the arts. Prior to joining the foundation in 2018, Stewart was a member and chief of staff of the arts team at Bloomberg Philanthropies. There, she oversaw the Public Art Challenge initiative, which aims to bring together mayors, artists and cultural organizations to create public art projects that address critical civic issues. She also helped to manage the arts and culture portfolio at the Nathan Cummings Foundation and reported on small business news and trends as a journalist for Fortune Small Business Magazine.

Stewart graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and African & African American studies. Born and raised in New York City, Stewart’s interest in the arts is rooted in her background in ballet and modern dance. After training at the School of American Ballet, the Ailey School and Dance Theatre of Harlem, she performed with the New York City-based modern company Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company. In 2022, Stewart was honored to co-chair the planning committee for Grantmakers in the Arts’ annual conference, the leading national convening for public and private arts and culture funders in the United States. She currently sits on the board of Dance/NYC and of Durham Colored Library, Inc., a 100-year literary nonprofit started by her great-great-grandfather Dr. Aaron Moore and focused on elevating the stories and achievements of the African American community.