Andre Perry is a skilled artist, thinker, producer and administrator who works across disciplines. As part of the Board, he will aid Arts Midwest’s work to support and connect communities across our region.
Andre currently serves as the Executive Director of The Englert Theatre in Iowa City. He also co-founded and continues to produce Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival, a celebration of music and literature, as well as the multidisciplinary festival creative process, Witching Hour. In 2015–2017, he participated in the inaugural cohort of the Association for Performing Arts Professionals’ Leadership Fellows Program and later returned as a group leader for Cohort III.
In addition to his creative leadership, Andre Perry is an accomplished writer. His debut nonfiction book, Some of Us Are Very Hungry Now, was hailed by NPR as “extraordinary” and Foreword called him “a fresh American voice that demands to be heard.” His work also appears in The Believer, Catapult, Granta, The Paris Review, Guernica, and other journals.
“I am honored to join the Arts Midwest board at such a crucial moment,” says Perry. “The question we face—How can Arts Midwest best lead and work with its regional partners to build a better future for Americans?—is daunting, inspiring, and necessary to address.”
“We are extremely fortunate to have Andre joining us as the newest member of our board,” says Arts Midwest President & CEO Torrie Allen. “His talents as an artist and his vast experience bringing the Iowa City community together through creative experiences will help inform and guide Arts Midwest’s work as we move forward.”