Photo by Maria Baranova
Her work is rooted in commissioning and developing new work that engages physical presence, site, and public encounter. She has realized large-scale commissions across disciplines including performance art, dance, theater, music, and the visual arts on beaches, public parks, skateparks, airports, pools, music festivals, biennials, galleries, internationally acclaimed art institutions and museums.
Sasha Okshteyn is a New York City–based curator and creative producer working at the intersection of performance, visual art, and site-specific practice. She has produced major interdisciplinary projects for institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Performa Biennial, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pioneer Works, Pace Gallery, The Momentary, Art Basel, and Frieze LA. Her collaborations span a wide range of artists, including Yvonne Rainer, Barbara Kruger, Madeline Hollander, Marcel Dzama, Kevin Beasley, Jacolby Satterwhite, Paul Pfeiffer, and many other amazing minds. Sasha supports both emerging and established artists in developing ambitious performance-based works—from early concept through full realization—often across unconventional sites, experimental formats, and complex institutional contexts.
She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Beach Sessions, a pioneering performance series on Rockaway Beach, Queens. Since launching in 2015, the series has presented over 80 choreographers and reached more than 10,000 audience members with free, public performances that push the boundaries of dance in outdoor space. Now in its second decade, Beach Sessions continues to expand its platform for large-scale choreographic commissions.
Sasha currently serves as Associate Director of Artist Projects at The Watermill Center, where she oversees artist residencies, exhibitions, and the annual Summer Festival. Across her work, she is driven by a commitment to artist care, collaborative process, and the evolving role of live art in shaping spatial, political, and social experience.
She holds an M.A. in Visual Arts Administration from NYU and a B.A. in Art History and Dance from George Washington University.