President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, Robert L. Lynch, as well as Vice President of Local Arts Advancement, Clayton Lord, participated in the third annual SphinxCon on January 30 in Detroit, Michigan as part of Americans for the Arts ongoing work in the field of arts and diversity. President of Americans for the Arts' Board of Directors, Abel Lopez, was the recipient of the Arthur L. Johnson Memorial Series Award. (Read more about Americans for the Arts' Greater DC Diversity Pilot Initiative on ARTSBlog.)

The SphinxCon Organization, a national non-profit founded by Dr. Aaron P. Dworkin, hosts one of the nation’s leading arts diversity conferences annually as part of their work dedicated to breaking down walls and fostering diversity and achievement in the arts. phinxCon brings more than 40 distinguished arts leaders together to address challenges surrounding diversity in the performing arts and discuss innovative solutions to engage audiences and artists. Hundreds of arts professionals, educators, arts administrators, musicians, performers, philanthropists, and artists gather to discuss best practices in areas including dance, theatre, LGBTQ outreach, arts and healing, philanthropy and grant making, research and policy, and innovation.

At this year's SphinxCon, Robert Lynch interviewed Abel Lopez onstage and participated in a second session with Aaron Dworkin. Christina Pato performed Galatian bagpipe with the Sphinx Symphony at the awards ceremony. See photos of Christina Pato and more on our instagram (@Americans4Arts)!

Photo: Robert Lynch, Aaron Dworkin, Jane Chu (Chairman of the NEA) pictured with others at the 2015 SpinxCon