Former Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter has been appointed vice provost for the arts at Duke.

Rutter will join Duke on Sept. 1, 2025, succeeding John Brown, who stepped down on June 30, 2025, after five years in the role.

In a statement, Provost Alec D. Gallimore said, “Deborah Rutter is one of the nation’s most accomplished arts leaders. Throughout her career, Deborah has set the standard for connecting art and culture to diverse audiences and communities, through innovative programming and by ensuring operational excellence in the organizations she has led. Her expertise and vision will lift the arts to a new level of impact at Duke as a central part of our educational mission ‘to engage the mind and elevate the spirit’ and a means to forge partnerships with our surrounding community. I am thrilled that Deborah will lead the future of the arts at Duke.”

In a statement, Rutter said, “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. 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. 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.”

Rutter led the Kennedy Center from 2014 to 2025, becoming the first woman to do so. As president, she 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.

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