Linda Frye Burnham (born 1940) is an American writer whose work and research focuses on

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

community art Community art, also known as social art, community-engaged art, community-based art, and, rarely, dialogical art, is the practice of art based in and generated in a community setting. It is closely related to social practice (art), social practice ...

, education and activism. In 1978 she was the founding editor of High Performance Magazine and later served as co-editor with Steven Durland until 1997. She has served as a staff writer for

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ x 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notabl ...

magazine, contributor to

The Drama Review ''TDR: The Drama Review'' is an academic journal focusing on performances in their social, economic, aesthetic, and political contexts. The journal covers dance, theatre, music, performance art, visual art, popular entertainment, media, sports, r ...

, among other publications. As an arts organizer Burnham co-founded in Santa Monica, California, the

18th Street Arts Center 18th Street Arts Center is a nonprofit arts center in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in 1988 and is the longest running artist residency center in Southern California. 18th Street Arts Center’s residency program hosts 60 or more Ameri ...

(1988 with Susanna Dakin), and Highways Performance Space (1989 with Tim Miller). In 1995 she cofounded Art in the Public Interest with Steven Durland in North Carolina, as well as cofounding the Community Arts Network in 1999 with Steven Durland, Robert Leonard and Ann Kilkelly. Burnham received a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Southern California, and a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine.

Published works

Burnham’s writing has been published in numerous journals and art magazines in both the United States and the UK. She wrote (with Durland) ''The Citizen Artist: 20 Years of Art in the Public Arena, Critical Press'', Incorporated (1st edition 1998). Among the books she has edited are: ''Making Exact Change: How U.S. arts-based programs have made a significant and sustained impact on their communities'', (2005); ''Performing Communities Grassroots Ensemble Theaters'', New Village Press (2006); ''Bridge Conversations: People Who Live and Work in Multiple Worlds'', Arts & Democracy Press (2011).

Awards and distinctions

In 1999 Burnham was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Women’s Caucus for Art. In 2013, she and Steven Durland received the ATHE Award for Leadership in Community-based Theater and Civic Engagement.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burnham, Linda Frye 1940 births Living people American art critics American art historians Writers from Oklahoma Women art historians American women historians 21st-century American women