New York University

A sociologist of art and cultural historian, Laurin Raiken is a founding faculty member of the Gallatin School and the founder of the Gallatin Interdisciplinary Arts Program. His teaching and research interests include the sociology and political economy of the arts, cultural policy, arts and social change, the Jewish mystical tradition and art, Native American studies, and American society and economy in transition. An activist in the art world, Professor Raiken was a founder of the New York Free Theater and board chairman of the Foundation of the Community of Artists, and he has worked in various positions in arts and cultural policy. As cochair of Citizens for Artists Housing, he helped to draft the New York State legislation that legalized loft living for artists in SoHo and NoHo. He has served as a consultant to the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as a cultural liaison for the Interfaith Center of New York, and as a senior editor for Art and Artists. Professor Raiken serves as Gallatin's liaison for the Gallatin Newington-Cropsey Foundation Fellowship Program funded by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation's Academy of Art, where he also serves as Senior Fellow. He is President of the Leo Bronstein Trust and literary executor of the late Leo Bronstein's works in art philosophy. A founder of the NYU Community Service Program, he is currently a consultant to NYU's Faculty Resource Network on Native American colleges and faculty convener for the seminar "Art, Public Policy, and Politics." He is currently working on developing a joint NYU-Columbia Native People's think tank, the "Tecumseh Agenda." Professor Raiken is a University Senator. He received NYU's Great Teacher Award in 1983 and in 1992 was named a University Educator of the Year by Vanderbilt University.