Washington Performing Arts head to speak on art, collaboration

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jenny Bilfield, president and CEO of Washington Performing Arts, will speak at Purdue University on Thursday (April 13). She will discuss how cross-disciplinary collaboration creates unusual alliances aimed at serving art, audiences and artists.

“Thought Leadership in the Arts: Curation, Collaboration, Community Engagement and Relevance” will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Lawson Commons at the Lawson Computer Science Building. Free and open to the public, the event is part of the College of Liberal Arts series “At the Intersection of Liberal Arts and STEM.”

“Some of the most dynamic programming in the country is being spearheaded by presenters and producers who harness the creative power of multiple partners, artists and practitioners,” Bilfield said.

She will talk in detail about projects she and her team have developed at Stanford University and in Washington, D.C., including kinetic sculptures and a water-powered thermodynamic pipe organ utilized in the opera “The Gurs Zyklus.”

“Jenny Bilfield brings a wealth of experience as a forward-thinking arts presenter. Her work demonstrates the engaging power of bringing together the liberal arts and STEM disciplines,” said David A. Reingold, Justin S. Morrill Dean of Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts.

Bilfield was appointed Washington Performing Arts’ fourth president and CEO in 2013. Based in Washington, D.C., Washington Performing Arts was founded in 1965 and connects audience members with performances that span the D.C. metropolitan area. Prior to joining Stanford, Bilfield held numerous leadership roles in the arts throughout her 21 years in New York City. She is best known for her specialized work in the strategic management, promotion and presentation of contemporary music and cutting-edge artists. Bilfield was also artistic and executive director of Stanford Lively Arts and artistic director of Stanford Live from 2006-2013.

The Intersection of Liberal Arts and STEM is a series of events that highlights how liberal arts, science, technology, engineering and math fields are enriched and have greater capacity for meaningful change when the disciplines intersect. 

Contact: Gabby Hlavek, director of marketing and communications, College of Liberal Arts, 765-496-7276, ghlavek@purdue.edu