Helen Elizabeth Haynes, 74, an acclaimed painter and textile artist, former college art teacher, chief cultural officer during the administration of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and cultural affairs director at Montgomery County Community College, died of cardiac arrest March 26 at Jefferson Einstein Hospital.

Haynes lived for many years in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy.

A native of Ohio, Haynes earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 1973, and a master’s degree in painting and design in 1975, both at the University of Michigan. She also earned a certificate in arts administration at Harvard University in 1976.

She worked for the Cleveland Area Arts Council and taught art at colleges in Ohio before heading to Washington, D.C. There, Haynes held positions with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Museum of African Art, and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Haynes came to Philadelphia in 1988 to take a position as executive director of the Coalition of African American and Latino Cultural Organizations. She later became the two-time director of the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts and managing director of Full Circle Theatre at Temple University.

From 2001 to 2014, she developed cultural outreach programs and workshops. She also led the Lively Arts Series at Montgomery County Community College. In 2014 and 2015, Haynes supervised the city’s public arts program as the leader of Nutter’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Starting in 2016, she spent two years as interim director of exhibitions and programs at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Virtually everyone from the city’s arts community who had contact with Haynes sings her praises. Tu Huynh, curator of exhibitions and programs for Creative Philadelphia (a city program that, according to the program’s website, “provides creative and economic opportunities … to thrive through the arts,”) told the Local, “To add to her long list of experiences, Helen had heart. She believed in the power of the arts, of cultural heritage and legacy, and she fought for our communities. She put a kind face on government and gave meaning to public service.”

Valerie Gay, chief cultural officer for the city of Philadelphia, said, “I first met Helen around 2010 when she joined the board of directors of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. I was already familiar with her tireless advocacy for jazz and her deep commitment to supporting artists, but what struck me most was how others treated her: with a mix of genuine respect and reverence. She carried herself with warmth, clarity and quiet authority.”

Gay continued, “When I stepped into the role of chief cultural officer in 2024, Helen was one of the first people to reach out. She visited the office shortly after my appointment, generously sharing her insights, experiences, and advice. That conversation meant a great deal to me, as does her legacy. I already miss seeing Helen at concerts across the city, especially at the Clef Club and Prism Quartet performances, and I’ll always remember her straightforward wisdom and her hearty, unforgettable laugh. Philadelphia was blessed to have her.”

Haynes was highly respected for her skills at raising funds and grants for arts organizations. She was also involved with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and others.

Pamela Hooks, a multimedia performance artist who works locally in TV news and programming, told us, “Helen and I met in the early 1980s through my producers at TV [channels] 3 and 6. We became friends and hung out at jazz clubs like Chestnut Cabaret and Blue Moon. My children saw her as Aunt Helen. We were ‘running buddies.’ … The last time we got together was St. Patrick’s Day this year at McMenamin’s [Tavern].”

Haynes is survived by a daughter, Chadra, sisters Brenda and Cheryl, a nephew, Ronald, and other relatives. Funeral services were May 16 at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in East Mt. Airy.

Donations in Haynes’ name may be made to the New Freedom Theater, 1346 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19121.

Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.