Claudine Kinard Brown is currently the Director of the Arts and Culture Program at the Nathan Cummings Foundation. She began her professional career as an art and drama teacher in New York City Public Schools. In 1976 she joined the staff of the Brooklyn Museum where she served for thirteen years in several capacities. She began her career in Brooklyn, as a museum educator. In 1984 she served as Manager of School and Community Programs and in 1985 she became the Museum's Assistant Director for Government and Community Relations.

Brown left the Brooklyn Museum in 1990 to direct the Smithsonian Institution's initiative to create a National African American Museum. Her responsibilities included: conducting a needs assessment, developing a vision statement and program plan, and opening a Center for African American History & Culture pending passage of authorizing legislation to create a museum. In 1991, she added to her responsibilities by concurrently assuming the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Museums. Her responsibilities included developing policy affecting 13 national arts and humanities museums, reviewing their long-range plans and assisting in prioritizing institution-wide budget requests which were presented to Congress.

Claudine Brown has served on several nonprofit boards, including the American Association of Museums, the National Park Service Fund, the Association of Black Foundation Executives and she recently served as President of the Board of Grantmakers in the Arts. She has taught graduate courses in the Arts Administration program at New York University, and the Museum Leadership Program at Bank Street College. Claudine Brown has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute, a Masters of Science degree in Museum Education from Bank Street College and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Brooklyn Law School.