Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) announced that Cheryl T. Schiele has joined the organization as Program Director, Arts & Cultures. In this position, Cheryl will provide leadership for MACP’s Arts & Cultures program and related work in three areas: Native Arts & Cultures, Folk Arts & Cultures, and Music Education. She will be responsible for ongoing development and implementation of program strategy, providing direction and oversight to grantmaking and operations, and managing the Arts & Cultures team. She will also serve on the Program Leadership Team.
Cheryl (she/her) joins MACP following 18 years with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), where she held various roles within the NEA’s Folk & Traditional Arts program, most recently as Acting Program Director. She also managed a variety of NEA funding opportunities and networks, including Grants for Arts Projects, Folk Arts Partnerships, National Heritage Fellowships, and the National Folklife Network.
Jayson Smart, Managing Director, Programs at MACP, commented, “Cheryl brings significant experience in designing and implementing programs that support culture bearers and community-based traditional artists. Her understanding of program strategies that are deeply rooted in community impact and well-being will be an asset to the team and our partners.
Prior to the NEA, Cheryl worked in various roles in the performing arts field, including time with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Cheryl was also a founding board member of Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion (NDCP), a nonprofit based in Annapolis, MD.
Cheryl has a Bachelor of Music from James Madison University, and she has completed graduate-level coursework in Arts Management at American University.
