Image of a male-identified figure with graying black hair and a salt and pepper beard dressed in a blue suit with a white and blue striped shirt with hands in his pants pockets. In the background is the Houston skyline.
Photo by Trish Badger Photography
image of a male-identified figure with graying black hair and a salt and pepper beard dressed in a blue suit with a white and blue striped shirt. In the background is the Houston skyline.
Photo by Trish Badger Photography

Short (140 words)

Sixto Wagan (he/him) is a Houston-based cultural leader whose creative and professional practice is deeply rooted in collective action, contemporary performance, and community care. For nearly three decades, he has championed equity and storytelling through roles as an artist, curator, educator, and nonprofit director. He currently serves as Executive Director of the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund (BANF), a community-led initiative that has invested over $10 million into Greater Houston’s BIPOC arts ecosystem to support self-determination and resilience. Sixto previously founded the Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) at University of Houston and led DiverseWorks for over 11 years, advancing artist-driven projects and research initiatives that interrogate social, political, and cultural narratives. Nationally recognized for his advocacy, participatory methodologies, and collaborations across sectors, he also serves on the boards of the MAP Fund and Grantmakers in the Arts.

Long:(387 words)

Sixto Wagan is the Executive Director of the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund (BANF), a groundbreaking, community-led collaborative initiative designed to strengthen and celebrate the cultural ecosystem of Greater Houston. Under his leadership, BANF—a $12.6 million fund—has emerged as a pivotal force in resourcing and sustaining BIPOC arts communities through equity-centered practices, participatory grantmaking, and community-informed evaluation frameworks. In just three years, BANF has invested over $10 million in support of more than 175 artists, collectives, and organizations committed to cultural vibrancy and racial justice.

Wagan’s career is defined by a deep commitment to the intersections of art, community, and equity. Prior to BANF, he founded the Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) at the University of Houston, where he pioneered programs and partnerships that embedded creative practice within civic dialogue and social impact initiatives. With curator Ryan Dennis, he co-developed the KGMCA–Project Row Houses Fellowship, a nationally recognized model for artist-led research and community collaboration rooted in the People and Place methodology of Project Row Houses.

Previously, Wagan held multiple leadership roles at DiverseWorks, including Artistic Director, Co-Executive Director, and Performing Arts Curator. Throughout his tenure, he championed artists who interrogate urgent cultural, political, and social issues, and he established DiverseWorks as a hub for experimental, community-participatory work.

A sought-after strategist and thought partner, Wagan currently serves on the boards of Grantmakers in the Arts and MAP Fund. He frequently speaks at national convenings on topics including equity in philanthropy, leadership transitions, cultural stewardship, and the role of arts in social transformation. His consulting practice specializes in strategic visioning, organizational health, and culturally responsive evaluation.

Wagan holds a Master’s degree in Teaching with a focus on interdisciplinary curriculum design. He earned his undergraduate degree in visual arts, studying drawing and printmaking under Karin Broker and painting with Bas Poulos. A committed artist and cultural agitator, Wagan co-founded QuAC: The Queer Artist Collective in 1996 with DN Bashir, a dynamic, intersectional performance collective that produced 17 original full-length works in three years and activated non-traditional spaces with queer creative expression.

He has completed advanced trainings in Adaptive Leadership Facilitation through EMC Arts and Anti-Racist Facilitation through ArtEquity. Today, Wagan continues to expand his impact as a facilitator, evaluator, and advocate for artists and communities driving systemic change.