LDI 2017

Designer, Associate Professor, and the head of design at Texas Tech University’s School of Theatre and Dance, Andrea Bilkey has spent over 35 years in the performing arts exploring many aspects including: backstage work, performing onstage, and was also a violinist for several years with the greater twin cities youth symphonies in Minneapolis before focusing on stage design in the early 1990's. Between her undergraduate and graduate work she completed an internship at The Juilliard School and worked at Secoa, John S. Hyatt and Associates, and The Design Group out of Minneapolis, as well as the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Madison Rep, Opera Grand Rapids, Madcap Children's Theatre, Northstar Opera Company, the Canadian Arts Alliance, and for a variety of community theatre companies as well as charitable fundraising events. Now teaching, Andrea’s focus and creative endeavors include: lighting design, computer drafting and design, theatre planning, technology in the classroom, technology in the design communication process, and performance photography. Research interests also include the history of lighting and she is an active participant in the Stage Lighting Archives Working Group at the Pennsylvania State University, also participating in two grant supported research trips to their archives. She is also an active member with USITT’s Lighting Commission serving previously as Vice-Commissioner for Communications, Vice-Commissioner for Programming, and currently as Vice-Commissioner for Lighting History as well as serving USITT as Vice-Chair of the History & Heritage committee. Recognitions her work has garnered include USITT's Young Designer's Forum; ETC's LDI student sponsorship program; and a KCACTF Region III Meritorious achievement award for Lighting Design. She has her design work published in World Stage Design and TD&T, and most recently published an article titled “Illuminating the Past - and the Future” in the Spring 2017 edition of TD&T.