New Executive Director Named At Sag Harbor Cinema

SAG HARBOR, NY — A new executive director has been named at the Sag Harbor Cinema.

The Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center and its board of directors have unanimously approved the appointment of Mark Lubell to the post, following a national search conducted by PBR Executive Search, representatives of the Cinema said.

The news of Lubell’s appointment comes just ahead of the five-year anniversary of the Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center's Memorial Day Weekend grand reopening.

Lubell, representatives added, is "a distinguished creative executive and cultural entrepreneur with an extensive track record of leading premier cultural institutions and media organizations through significant periods of transformation and growth. A native New Yorker and Sag Harbor resident, Lubell has spent his career at the intersection of culture, technology, and commerce — building teams and positioning legacy organizations for contemporary audiences."

Most recently, Lubell served as the executive director of the International Center of Photography from 2013 to 2022.

During his tenure, he raised more than $90 million to support institutional expansion and long-term sustainability, representatives said.

He successfully led the acquisition and development of ICP’s permanent home at 84 Ludlow Street, realizing a 20-year strategic objective, representatives added.

Under his leadership, ICP's programs were repositioned around new media and contemporary visual culture, cementing its status as a leading voice in image-based storytelling, representatives noted.

"I am honored to join the Sag Harbor Cinema as its executive director," Lubell said. "As a resident of Sag Harbor, I have long admired the Cinema's dedication to celebrate the art of filmmaking. I look forward to building on this incredible foundation to further strengthen the Cinema’s cultural offerings and community contributions to the residents of Sag Harbor and its many visitors."

Prior to his work at ICP, Lubell served as the director of Magnum Photos from 2003 to 2011, where he led a major digital transformation and organizational restructuring of the historic international photography cooperative.

His "innovative approach" resulted in 51 percent of revenue coming from newly created business lines within just three years, representatives said.

He also orchestrated one of the largest transactions in photographic history with the sale of the Magnum New York press print archive to Michael Dell, reps said.

Lubell was named "Innovator of the Year" by American Photo for his pioneering work in multimedia and digital community building.

Sag Harbor Cinema Board President John Alschuler reflected: "We’re honored to welcome Mark’s entrepreneurial expertise, noted leadership in the visual arts and strong record as a fundraiser to the role of executive director. He will expand on the existing relationship with our community, our schools and support the continued growth of our renowned cultural offerings. We are thrilled to celebrate his official appointment and look forward to his leadership in this role."

Earlier in his career, Lubell served as the chief operations officer of Here Is New York: A Democracy of Photographs, a nonprofit created following September 11.

Lubell is currently the co-founder of Vagrant Ventures, where he advises organizations on visual literacy strategy and audience engagement.