Pollstar + VenuesNow 2022 Women Of Live: Grace Blake

City Winery NYC, Pier 57 and Hudson Valley
Programming Director

Grace Blake is pulling double duty as programming director for City Winery NYC Pier 57 and Hudson Valley, and as board member of NIVA, making an impact on not just her own venues and staff, but for others nationwide.

Grace Blake is pulling double duty as programming director for City Winery NYC Pier 57 and Hudson Valley, and as board member of NIVA, making an impact on not just her own venues and staff, but for others nationwide.

As for her role at City Winery, she says, “It’s an exciting time to see the live industry return, and artists picking up where they left off. We are all taking small steps to ensure that our artists, patrons and staff can pivot to the volume of shows and announcements as the live industry regains its footing.”
Blake notes that diversity, equality and inclusion is “at the forefront of City Winery’s thought processes” and says the company prides itself in “fostering an environment that invites people from all walks of life into our ecosystem and gives them a chance to proverbially ‘Be on stage.’”

She doesn’t limit her own journey to the workplace, either.

“In July of 2020, I co-founded My Good with Grammy Award-winner Macy Gray and Charyn Harris in response to brutal attacks around the country,” Blake explains. “The non-profit organization was created to support the families of victims of police brutality. The heart of the foundation’s mission is to ensure that families directly impacted by police brutality get the much needed emotional and financial support as they move forward.”
Blake says she wants to revisit “Herstory, Her Voice,” a 31-day showcase of “some of today’s most prolific women in pop, rock, jazz and blues.” Originally launched in 2017, Blake plans to bring it back for Women’s History Month in 2023. Past performers have included Macy Gray, Beth Hart, Meshell Ndegeocello, Liz Longley, Yael Deckelbaum, Aoife O’Donovan and Rhonda Ross.

“When it comes to finding success as a woman, particularly a woman in the music industry, our strength comes from each other,” Blake emphasizes. “We have certainly come a long way in the many leadership roles women now have, however we still have work to be done. And we’ll only get there if we come together and pay it forward.
“My favorite African proverb speaks to where we are and where we’ve yet to travel: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’”