Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts

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Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts

The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts encourages and supports the exploration and development of new knowledge to transform the way artists, organizations and communities approach their creative challenges.

Through its programs, the Kenan Institute for the Arts is empowering the next generation of artist leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators and engaging the creative community across the region to increase access, equity and inclusion across the sector.

The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at University of North Carolina School of the Arts remains unwavering in our commitment to convening, amplifying and supporting the work of black artists, and pledge to find new ways to make the invisible seen and the silenced heard.

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist.”
– Angela Davis

Black Lives Matter.

Artists Thrive Summit 2022

Artists Thrive Annual Summit, July 19-22, 2022, www.artiststhrive.org

Join artists, arts leaders, educators and funders from across the country to collaborate, gain inspiration, engage and align at the 2022 Artists Thrive Summit in Winston-Salem, NC and online. This non-traditional ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ 4-day convening elevates the knowledge of attendees to help raise the value of artists in every community.

Learn More & Register

Art Restart podcast

Exploring how artists are reinventing their fields and building a new landscape for the arts.

Brittany J. Green

Composer Brittany J. Green discusses the two qualities that guide the evolution of her compositional practice: her ability to learn through deep listening and her commitment to cross-disciplinary collaborations.

ChristinaMaria Patiño Xochitlzihuatl Houle

Artist and activist ChristinaMaria Patiño Xochitlzihuatl Houle, shares her deep unease with the traditional interview process and describes her own listening practice when she visits and learns from Indigenous communities throughout the Americas.

Jacob Padrón

Jacob Padrón, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, explains the impetus for a sea change in the theater's production model and imagines a new path forward not only for his own theater but for the field as a whole.

Explore All Interviews

News from Our Creative Community

Faculty Enrichment Grants support real-world art and cultural experiences for students

A concert, a master class, a trip to a cultural heritage site, an off-campus show. Each year, Faculty Enrichment Grants from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts help support UNCSA faculty members' endeavors to enhance the arts experiences of their students.

Ellen Rosenberg explores the power of Narrative Medicine with support of Faculty Leadership Grant

Ellen Rosenberg, who teaches humanities, creative writing and theater in the UNCSA Division of Liberal Arts, is about to complete her Narrative Medicine Certificate from Columbia University -- the culmination of a two-year journey of teaching, learning and listening.

Faculty Leadership Grant helps Julian Semilian realize a long-held filmmaking dream

After decades as a film editor, Julian Semilian decided to try his hand at something new -- becoming a documentary filmmaker. The process has proven enlightening for Semilian, both as a seasoned artist and as an instructor of budding filmmakers in the UNCSA School of Filmmaking.

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Kevin Bitterman, Executive Director

Theater professional and arts administrator Kevin Bitterman joined the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts as Executive Director in August 2021, bringing to the organization more than 18 years of experience as a national leader in the nonprofit arts arena. Prior to this role, Bitterman has had success as a program director, fundraiser, producer, grant maker and community leader, most recently serving as director of institutional advancement and partnerships for the Theatre Communications Group (TCG).

MEET kevin bitterman