Deborah Rutter Named Vice Provost for the Arts

“It has been my life’s passion to enable the extraordinary talents of artists to inspire, challenge, console, delight and invigorate us through the free expression of their art, and to facilitate broad accessibility to the transformative experiences they make possible,” said Rutter. “It is an immense honor to have the opportunity to now continue this work at Duke University, in partnership with its vibrant student and faculty population, as well as the greater Durham and North Carolina communities.

“Duke is highly regarded for its belief in innovation and creative thought leadership. The opportunity to collaborate across the campus to support strong, thoughtful, cultural leaders through increased arts programming, interdisciplinary programs and creative initiatives is a dream come true.”

In her nearly five decades as a nonprofit executive, Rutter has led several of the nation’s most successful and celebrated artistic organizations. Her belief in the importance of the artist in society and art in the everyday life of all Americans has been a defining feature of her career.

From 2014 to 2025, Rutter was the first woman to serve as president of the Kennedy Center, the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President Kennedy. Under Rutter’s leadership, the center experienced a period of transformative programmatic growth; opened the REACH, a physical expansion of the campus; and strengthened its financial position through increases in its endowment and working capital reserves.

As president, Rutter oversaw a broad span of programming and education initiatives in theater, contemporary dance, ballet, opera, vocal music, chamber music, hip-hop, comedy, international arts and jazz. The center welcomed more than two million visitors each year for more than 2,000 performances, including 400 free programs, and was the home to artistic affiliates including the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera.

Its extensive arts education network reached millions of people across all 50 states with live performances and multidisciplinary arts training and support. Rutter also administered the VSA, an international organization providing art enrichment programs to people with disabilities.

A board member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Rutter served as co-chair of its Commission on the Arts, which produced two reports—“Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Art Education” and “Art Is Work: Policies to Support Creative Workers.”

Rutter is a graduate of Stanford University, where she majored in music and German, and earned an MBA from the University of Southern California. Trained in piano and violin, she previously served as president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and executive director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. She also held executive leadership roles with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Rutter already has ties to Duke. In 2023, the university presented her with an honorary Doctor of Arts degree, recognizing her as “one of the leading voices in arts administration today.” She has also been a guest lecturer on campus, and her daughter was a member of the Class of 2020.

Rutter’s appointment follows a national search chaired by Paul Jaskot, professor and chair of the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies. The search committee included faculty and administrators from across the university.

“As the chair of a department in the arts, I couldn’t be more thrilled that Deborah Rutter will join us at Duke,” Jaskot said. “She has been an outstanding national voice for the arts as well as a proven manager of a complex institution with many different cultural programs and community events. She will be both an exciting director for our strong public-facing arts offerings and a key player in the support of an academic arts ecosystem that sustains the curriculum and faculty research at Duke.”

As vice provost for the arts, Rutter will report to the provost and will be responsible for the overall direction of the arts at Duke, working collaboratively with faculty, administrators, professional staff, students and the local community.

Duke’s Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts, known as Duke Arts, champions an expansive and inclusive approach to the arts on campus, throughout Durham and beyond — showcasing world-class creators and performers, cultivating artists and scholars, supporting the creation of new works, and ensuring that the arts are a vibrant part of a Duke education. It is home to several programs, including Duke Arts Presents, which offers up to 60 live world-class performance events per year, plus special exhibitions and installations throughout campus.

Duke’s academic departments in the arts include Music; Dance; Theater Studies; and Art, Art History & Visual Studies. Duke also offers minors in Creative Writing and Cinematic Arts. All students, regardless of major, can take courses, participate in ensembles and productions, and take part in workshops in ceramics, photography, painting, screen printing and digital media.

Duke is home to several leading arts institutions, including the Nasher Museum of Art, a major center for the arts on Duke’s campus and in the surrounding Research Triangle area that has earned a national and international reputation. More than 1 million people have visited the museum since it opened in 2005. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, a program of the Duke Center for Documentary Studies, is one of the world’s premiere showcases for nonfiction cinema. The Academy Award-qualifying festival draws an international mix of attendees to Durham every spring. The American Dance Festival, a leading modern dance organization, has been hosted at Duke University since moving to Durham in 1978.

Between July 1 and August 31, Duke Arts will report to Senior Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs and Initiatives Ed Balleisen.