Phillip Bahar

Phillip Bahar, Executive Director, Chicago Humanities Festival, is deeply committed to the role cultural institutions play in considering the most challenging conversations, debates and ideas in American society. The Festival presents 120+ programs annually that connect authors, artists, journalists, scholars, policy makers and other thinkers with passionate and inquisitive audiences, using the humanities to reflect on pressing civic and social issues and timeless concerns.

Prior to joining the Festival in 2013, Phillip was Chief of Operations and Administration at the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), overseeing its operations and earned income departments, strategic planning, communications and visitor experience. He previously held leadership positions with: Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Performing Arts Chicago; and the Kitchen Center for the Arts (New York City).

Phillip is a Board member of Arts Alliance Illinois, has served on multiple advisory committees with the American Alliance of Museums, and in 2008 co-founded the Art Museum Marketing Association. A member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute and National Arts Strategies CEO Program, Phillip is also an adjunct professor in museum studies (Johns Hopkins University) and holds an MA in Arts Management (Columbia University) and a BA from Brandeis University.