CAROLYN CLARK POWERS IS A DISTINGUISHED PHILANTHROPIST
AND ARTS ADVOCATE.
Her charitable work spans the visual and performing arts, music education, and initiatives supporting children, women, and health. Motivated by a deep belief that art should be accessible to everyone, Carolyn’s philanthropy is guided by her conviction in the transformative power of creative connection.
Carolyn joined the board of trustees at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, in 2009. After serving as president for seven years, she now serves as Chair of the Board. MOCA has thrived with the benefit of strong female leadership and has focused on broadening the museum’s reach and impact throughout the Los Angeles community.
A passionate believer in the power of art to inspire and transform, Carolyn made a landmark $10 million gift in 2019 to launch MOCA FREE-Art for All, MOCA’s first free general admission program, which began in January 2020. Most recently, in 2025, she made an additional gift to ensure the sustainability of this initiative, making free access to art a permanent part of MOCA’s mission.
Carolyn is a founder and board member of The Painted Turtle, a free camp for children with serious medical conditions, and part of Paul Newman’s SeriousFun Children’s Network. Since 2004, The Painted Turtle has welcomed more than 250,000 campers and their families to experience the joys of summer camp, fostering independence, friendship, and personal growth. Carolyn has chaired the camp’s annual benefit for over a decade, securing crucial resources. In 2025, she funded the construction of a new amphitheater to create opportunities for performance art, public speaking, and fun on stage.
In the broader community, Carolyn is a Leadership member of Visionary Women, where she is passionate about driving change on pressing issues facing women and girls and investing in high-impact community initiatives. She is inspired by the dynamic network Visionary Women fosters through speaking engagements and collective experiences. Carolyn is also a member of The Colleagues, a nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic violence, child abuse, and neglect since 1950.
Nationally, Carolyn has served on the boards of the Grammy Museum Foundation and the Kennedy Center National Committee for the Performing Arts. She chaired Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Awards and is the namesake of the Carolyn Clark Powers Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed upon luminaries including Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Sophia Loren, Mavis Staples, and Luchita Hurtado.
Carolyn’s roots trace back to Dockery Farms in the Mississippi Delta, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as the official birthplace of Blues Music in America. To honor this legacy, she helped establish the Dockery Farms Foundation and serves as co-chair of its board. She also spearheaded “The Blues and Jazz: Two American Classics,” a music education program in partnership with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, providing instruments and master classes to schools in rural communities.
Her dedication to the arts extends to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where she co-chaired the Opening Night Gala from 2007 to 2012 and sponsored the Creative Chair for Jazz for ten years. Carolyn has served as a board member of The Blue Ribbon at the Music Center and helped raise over $2 million as the LA Alive honoree in 2008. She also contributed to the opening of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
Carolyn’s passion for the arts extends to film; she served as executive producer of the documentary “To Be of Service," directed by Academy Award nominee Josh Aronson. The film tells the story of service dogs aiding veterans with PTSD and features an original song by Jon Bon Jovi, who received an Academy Award nomination.
A Los Angeles resident for over 40 years, Carolyn was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Beyond her philanthropic work, she is an avid traveler, art collector, music lover, and fashion enthusiast. Carolyn regularly seeks new experiences and lifelong learning, from participating in the Aspen Ideas Festival to completing marathons and summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. She recently completed the 120-mile Camino Trail hike in less than a week. She balances her commitments with family life, yoga, meditation, and a love of fine food and wine. Carolyn has three adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and recently welcomed her first granddaughter!
A full list of organizations Carolyn supports is available upon request.