Julie Trébault

Executive Director

Julie Trébault is the Executive Director of the Artists at Risk Connection. Prior to joining PEN America to create ARC, she served as director of public programs at the Museum of the City of New York and the Center for Architecture. Before moving to New York, she worked at the National Museum of Ethnology in The Netherlands where she built a network of 116 museums. From 2004 until 2007, she was Head of Higher Education and Academic Events at the Musée du quai Branly (Paris). Julie holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from the Sorbonne University and a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from the University of Strasbourg.

In the summer of 2024, she successfully led the spin-off of ARC from PEN America, establishing it as a fully independent organization. Under her leadership, ARC secured 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the United States as well as official registration in France. She is a frequent speaker at international convenings, including UNESCO’s Mondiacult, UN Human Rights Council, IFACCA, Documenta, and WOMEX. Her commentary on artistic freedom and cultural rights has appeared in outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, Libération, The Art Newspaper, Hyperallergic, and the Associated Press, among many others, and she has authored op-eds and essays on censorship, cultural mobility, and the protection of artists worldwide.