The Durham Cultural Master Plan

Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board

The board serves as an advisory body to the City Council and the City Manager and the functions include:

  1. Assist the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and to advise the City regarding the implementation of the Cultural Master Plan and to act as a community advocate for the plan.

  2. Promote economic and workforce development through arts and culture, including the recruitment and retention of cultural non-profit organizations and for-profit cultural businesses. It shall advise on the development of cooperative projects with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and other departments and agencies to use cultural components to advance these goals.

  3. Advocate for cultural development.

  4. Advise the City on funding for local arts and cultural organizations and facilities and advocate for private funding and for federal, state and county funding for Durham cultural organizations, programs and facilities.

  5. Advise on the implementation of any public art program the City might establish and advise the City on matters relating to public art. Advocate for public and private funding for local cultural organizations and facilities.

Meeting Time


The board meets the second Friday of each month at 11 a.m. at various locations throughout Durham. Members serve without compensation and city and/or county taxes must not reflect any delinquency at the time of submission of the application.


Board Members
Sherry L. Devries
Beverly Meek
Anne Micheaux Akwari  
Paula D. Harrel
Marc Sumner Lee
Matthew Coppedge
Jasmine C. Smith
Laura Treat Harvey
Pamela M. Green
Ashley Mattheis
Michael Schoenfeld
Joshua M. Parker

City Staff Person

Peter Coyle
Office of Economic and Workforce Development
560-4965