News & Events
Sitar Arts Center Welcomes Tara Malik as New Chief Program Officer
Sitar Arts Center Welcomes Tara Malik as New Chief Program Officer
Renowned Arts Education Leader Joins Sitar as It Celebrates 25 Years of Transforming Lives Through the Arts
WASHINGTON (February 20, 2025) – Sitar Arts Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Tara Malik as its new chief program officer. A dynamic leader with a deep commitment to arts education and youth development, Malik joins Sitar at a pivotal moment as the Center celebrates its 25th anniversary and expands its programming to serve even more youth in Washington, D.C.
As chief program officer, Malik will oversee Sitar’s diverse arts education and workforce development programs, ensuring they continue to meet the evolving needs of D.C.’s youth. She will also lead the programmatic expansion into Sitar Next Door, a new state-of-the-art space opening in 2025 dedicated to deepening Sitar’s impact and fostering creative opportunities for young artists.
“Tara brings a wealth of experience in arts education and a deep passion for creative youth development,” said Maureen Dwyer, executive director of Sitar Arts Center. “Her leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our programs, expanding access to the arts, and ensuring Sitar continues to be a vital community space for learning and belonging.”
Malik joins Sitar with over 20 years of experience in creative youth development and has supported and led community arts programs nationally and internationally. She previously served as director of media, arts and culture at the RYSE Center, a creative youth development organization in Richmond, Calif., where she built support systems for youth, artists and educators rooted in the values of youth voice, racial equity and collective action. She also co-founded the media arts nonprofit One Bird and has shared her expertise with various organizations. Her contributions include serving on the board of directors for the Arts Education Alliance, working with the Education Team of the Association Haitienne de Développement Humain and being a member of the Impact & Visibility Team for the Creative Youth Development National Partnership. Malik holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in arts management in arts in youth and community development from Columbia College Chicago.
“I’m thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to join Sitar Arts Center as they embark on their 25th year and to build on their legacy of providing transformative arts education for generations of D.C. youth,” said Tara Malik, chief program officer of Sitar Arts Center. “Sitar embodies an essential and critical community space where young people can discover who they are and what they value, develop their authentic voices and talents and be better prepared to shape their future.”
“I look forward to partnering with and uplifting the expertise of Sitar’s staff, teaching artists and young people to deepen Sitar’s impact on arts education and creative workforce development. I’m eager to increase the visibility and work of young artists both locally and nationally and support a network of intergenerational artists committed to shared practice, power building, and community healing.”
For more information about Sitar Arts Center and its programs, visit www.sitarartscenter.org.
About Sitar Arts Center
Founded in 2000, Sitar Arts Center advances equitable access to high quality education and workforce development in the visual, performing, and digital arts. Sitar Arts Center engages DC youth, from early childhood to young adulthood, in building a creative community of learning and belonging that removes financial and cultural barriers to arts education and career training. Sitar envisions a city in which all young people experience transformative moments through quality, accessible arts education, and career training, and are supported on their path to discover their creativity and achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.sitarartscenter.org.