AMHERST, Mass. — The UMass Fine Arts Center is thrilled to welcome Purna Venugopalan as its new assistant curator of performing arts. Venugopalan will co-curate and manage the Fine Arts Center’s performing arts season while also assuming leadership of the Asian and Asian American Arts and Culture Program.
Launched in 1993, the AAAACP is the country’s longest running university-based program dedicated to Asian and Asian American performance and cultural expression. The program provides a vital platform for artists across the Asian diaspora, prioritizing a full spectrum of art forms and cultural vernaculars.
“In a time when so much of life is filtered through screens, live performance feels more precious than ever, which makes it especially exciting to join the Fine Arts Center team in shaping each season,” said Venugopalan. “I look forward to creating opportunities to support artists, nurture their growth, and offer meaningful experiences for students and audiences across western Massachusetts.”
“It’s also a privilege to step into the leadership of the Asian and Asian American Arts and Culture Program. As an Asian American who grew up immersed in Indian performing arts and culture, I know how vital it is to see our traditions and contemporary voices celebrated on stage,” she said.
AAAACP was previously directed by Michael Sakamoto, current director of programming at the Fine Arts Center, and Ranjaana Devi, who founded the program.
“Carrying forward a program that has thrived for more than three decades feels deeply personal, and I look forward to building on Michael’s vision by bringing the program further into dialogue with current times, while continuing to emphasize social justice, community, and the diverse realities of the Asian and Asian American experience,” said Venugopalan.
Venugopalan is a cultural arts producer and photographer whose career spans work in India and America. For the past three years, she served as program manager for the San Francisco-based Nava Dance Theatre, where she supported the dance company’s community-centered programs while managing its national tours. She has also worked as a freelance producer and administrator with arts organizations including Brooklyn Raga Massive, Chelsea Factory, and Serendipity Arts Festival.
A former bharatanatyam dancer trained in the U.S. and India, Venugopalan brings a deep understanding of classical, traditional, modern and contemporary performance idioms to her curatorial approach.
Venugopalan joins the Fine Arts Center as it celebrates its 50th anniversary season, marking a half-century of presenting world-class artists and championing diversity in the arts.