Executive Director / ArtStorming Host

With over 40 years of experience in art and design, Lili has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of creativity in enhancing quality of life.

A lifelong arts advocate, Lili’s passion began early—spending her first allowance at The Met Museum Shop and selling her first paintings in high school. She earned a degree in art history from Hampshire College, focusing on art patronage. Her senior thesis examined the Chase Manhattan Bank Collection through the perspectives of artists, curators, and collectors, a multifaceted approach that continues to shape her work.

Lili’s career spans artistic disciplines. From 1987 to 1999, she owned Dec-Art, Inc., specializing in antique restoration and 18th-century painted finishes, while also volunteering as an art teacher for at-risk youth. She later transitioned into sustainable interior design, leading Wright Design for 15 years and developing multi-million-dollar projects across the U.S. and France. She co-founded and remains co-chair emerita of the Northern California-Monterey Bay Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and has served on several arts organization boards.

Since moving to Santa Fe in 2016, Lili has deepened her engagement in the arts, building a collection featuring New Mexico’s finest artists and supporting arts initiatives through grant reviews, funding, and community events. Her extensive network of artists and creative thinkers fuels her passion for dialogue and collaboration—something she aims to amplify through ArtBridge’s upcoming podcast series, bringing these conversations to a wider audience.

Hear more of Lili’s story

With a career spanning over 40 years, Dot Griffith has earned acclaim as a versatile photographer, capturing fashion, architecture, landscapes, macro, medical, and environmental subjects. She also served as the archival preservationist for Aga Khan IV.

A dedicated environmentalist, Dot has used her photography to document the devastating impact of the coal industry on communities in the southeastern U.S. and China, as well as the effects of Canadian tar sands projects on Indigenous peoples. Her commitment to environmental advocacy is deeply embedded in her art.

Her work has been featured in exhibitions, national magazines, scientific journals, books, and private collections. She currently serves on multiple boards, including the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University.

The daughter of renowned concert pianist Dorothy Lewis Griffith, Dot has been immersed in music since childhood and brings her lifelong passion for the arts to ArtBridge.

An ecological landscape designer, educator, and environmental advocate, Julie brings 16 years of experience in art and design to the ArtBridge Board of Directors. Her work at the Museum of Modern Art deepened her belief in the power of the arts to shape our understanding of the world. MoMA’s Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront inspired her to pursue a master’s degree in ecological landscape planning and design.

Since earning her MA from the Conway School, Julie has collaborated with interdisciplinary teams on projects for the Buckminster Fuller Institute, Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, NYC Parks, and City Parks Foundation. As an instructor at Parsons New School and Program Director for SWIM Coalition, she has worked on public art projects that address ecological challenges and climate change.

Her work includes regenerative design solutions with artists, writers, and designers, such as flood remediation for Londonderry, VT, with members of the Michael Singer Studio, and a public Foodway in Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx. Julie’s expertise bridges art, design, and environmental advocacy, making her a vital part of ArtBridge’s mission.

Ben Niles is an American painter and award-winning filmmaker originally from Atlanta, Georgia. With a background in graphic design at Atlantic Records, his mixed-media paintings emphasize bold contrasts of color, graphic shapes, and dynamic use of positive and negative space.

A graduate of the University of Georgia’s graphic design program, Niles studied fine arts in Cortona, Italy, where he immersed himself in figure drawing, photography, calligraphy, and the works of Italian masters. At UGA Athens, he trained under Ron Arnholm, a student of Paul Rand, gaining expertise in typography and color theory.

In addition to his visual art, Niles is a celebrated documentarian, having produced three feature films, including Note by Note, which chronicles the intricate craftsmanship behind a Steinway grand piano. He currently lives and works in South Orange, New Jersey, with his family.