Alex is an optimist who loves learning about people, places, and ideas. A lover of inquiry, he believes that asking the right questions is far more important (and more challenging) than feeling entitled to having all the answers.

Alex Sarian is the President & CEO of Arts Commons, a bestselling author, and a sought-after speaker on the topic of relevance. Known for his commitment to civic engagement, his fundraising prowess, and his experience designing sustainable business models in the arts sector, he has worked on cultural projects in 15 countries spanning five continents—where no two initiatives and outcomes were ever the same. Before beginning his current tenure at one of Canada’s foremost arts centers, where he leads the largest cultural infrastructure project in the country’s history, Alex spent two decades in New York City, most notably as a senior executive at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Born in Toronto and raised in Buenos Aires, Alex holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and administration from New York University, is a graduate of the CommunityShift program at Western University's Ivey School of Business, and was an inaugural graduate of the Impact Program for Arts Leaders at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. In addition to teaching at New York University, Pace University, and City College of New York, he has served on governing boards and special advisory committees for institutions including the Calgary Downtown Association, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, SXSW, Tourism Calgary, and the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize.

His critically acclaimed book, The Audacity of Relevance: Critical Conversations on the Future of Arts & Culture (ECW Press / Simon & Schuster, 2024) has been praised as a “manifesto for the arts in times of crises.”

Photo Credit: Jeremy Fokkens