Pentacle and The Field Merge to Create New Arts Organization, Counterpart

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The two New York-based legacy service organizations will unite to support independent performing artists.

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Pentacle and The Field, two New York-based nonprofit arts service organizations with a combined 90 years of history, are to merge and operate under a single new name, Counterpart, with the transition set to take effect June 17, 2026. The merger, which follows two years of collaborative planning by organizational leadership and board members, is a response to shifts in the creative sector driven by the pandemic, changes in digital technology, and reductions in arts funding. Christopher Bloodworth will serve as Executive Director of the unified organization, which aims to provide infrastructure support for artists and arts workers across the industry.

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Responding to profound shifts in the creative sector that were accelerated by the pandemic, digital technologies, and arts funding reductions, Pentacle and The Field have announced a historic merger to form a unified, first-of-its-kind nonprofit arts infrastructure organization. Born out of two years of collaborative planning by leadership and the Board, the merger combines 90 years of collective experience to build a comprehensive support system tailored to the modern needs of artists, arts workers, and creative entities.

The newly formed organization, known as Counterpart, will be led by Christopher Bloodworth, as Executive Director (former Executive Director of The Field), with Felicia Rosenfeld (former Interim Executive Director of Pentacle) serving as Director of Strategy. Based in New York City with a national reach, the unified entity will be guided by an experienced joint staff and a unified board of directors.

“By bringing together the historic strengths of Pentacle and The Field, Counterpart is answering the most profound challenge facing our sector by actively building a truly equitable arts ecosystem,” said Counterpart's Executive Director, Christopher Bloodworth. “The current landscape leaves 99% of independent creatives to fall through the cracks, undervalued and under-resourced. Counterpart exists to dismantle that disparity, helping vital artists and arts organizations navigate a complicated system and providing the sustainable systems they need to thrive.”

“Our goal with Counterpart remains the same as it was when we were Pentacle and The Field respectively - the house has changed but not the mission,” said Counterpart's Director of Strategy, Felicia Rosenfeld. “We're creating a hub that gives creatives the clarity, time, and resources they need to focus on their work without the burden of building it all on their own. Through our guided entry process, our dedicated staff will holistically assess their needs, whether it's financial support, long-term planning or professional development.”

Counterpart will continue the work and mission of The Field and Pentacle to create an arts sector where artists, arts workers, and organizations no longer have to choose between their creative lives and their economic survival. The organization will be responsive, rather than prescriptive, to the needs of the arts industry. Its model is intentionally organic and flexible - rather than moving through a fixed set of programs, Counterpart will help artists and arts workers access a combination of resources, infrastructure, and guidance most relevant to their circumstances at a given moment in their career.

Their holistic approach will rest on three interconnected operational pillars:

Strengthening Operations: Providing fiscal sponsorship, fiscal administration, and administrative support so artists and arts organizations can focus on creative work and community engagement.

Market Access and Revenue: Developing audience pipelines, opportunity networks, and creative business models to help grow and sustain emerging, mid-career, and longtime seasons artists' careers beyond surviving toward thriving.

Growing Careers: Offering personalized mentorship, business skills, and planning for a sustainable, purpose-driven profession.

To maximize impact, this three-pronged system will be powered by a centralized digital platform that brings together a range of artist services under a single dashboard. Fiscally sponsored artists can apply for grants, receive feedback on their solicitation materials, generate official documents, launch crowdfunding campaigns, and monitor donation data in real time. Every member, regardless of fiscal sponsorship status has access to a customizable public profile, consultation scheduling, a community events calendar, and databases of grants, help articles, and opportunities, all at no cost. This technological integration is designed to increase operational efficiency, strengthen data collection and reporting, and free staff to focus on deeper, more personalized relationships with constituents.

“It's an honor to be part of a team so integral to strengthening the arts community every day,” said Board co-chair Michael Wellington. “Having been involved with this merger since its earliest stages, I've witnessed firsthand how Pentacle and The Field are modeling the future of our sector. By unifying systems, consolidating resources, and increasing institutional capacity, we are achieving together what neither organization could accomplish alone to sustain the creative ecosystem.”

Counterpart will bring together the distinct service histories of both predecessor organizations — Pentacle, known for management and touring support for dance and performance artists, and The Field, which has long provided fiscal sponsorship and professional development resources to independent artists — into what the organizations describe as a first-of-its-kind nonprofit arts infrastructure entity based in New York City.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/industry/article/Pentacle-and-The-Field-to-Merge-Forming-New-Arts-Organization-Counterpart-20260613)._