Cameron Morgan named executive director of Vilar Performing Arts Center

The Vail Valley Foundation on Thursday issued the following press release on Cameron Morgan being named the new executive director for Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek:

The Vail Valley Foundation’s Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek today announced that Cameron Morgan will serve as the venue’s new Executive Director. The post at the iconic, 535-seat, theater has been held by Owen Hutchinson since January of 2021. Hutchinson will now become the venue’s Artistic Director. 

“I’m honored to take on this position and continue the momentum that Owen and the team, our patrons and supporters, have built throughout the 25^th Anniversary season and beyond,” Morgan said. “What excites me about the VPAC is the experience people have when they come there, the feeling they have when they walk through these doors, whether they’re sitting up in the balcony or dancing in the pit. That experience is so special and I’m looking forward to helping create that magic, that moment that only the performing arts can create.”

The VPAC is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, and Morgan has been a part of that team since 2015 as an intern for the Vail Dance Festival. He joined the Vail Valley Foundation full-time in 2021 and most recently served as the Vail Dance Festival & Operations Senior Manager.

“The VPAC is a gathering place for our local community and a cultural centerpiece of life in the Rocky Mountain region,” said VPAC Committee Chair Alexia Jurschak. “Cameron is a very talented individual with a deep understanding of the performing arts, and we look forward to working with him as he on our beloved venue.”

“Cameron has been an incredible addition to our Vail Valley Foundation team since 2015. He is artist and performer himself with great event production and operational skills as well as business acumen. Internal succession is always our priority, and Cameron checks all the boxes for a solid transition to this new leadership position. We are looking forward to having his expertise and enthusiasm for the arts help carry the VPAC into its next chapter,” said Mike Imhof, President of the Vail Valley Foundation. “Also, we could not be more pleased that Owen Hutchinson is staying us with us as our Artistic Director where he will continue to lead and develop VPAC’s artistic programming vision.”

Hutchinson, who is recently married, stepped away from the Executive Director position to be with his wife in New Jersey. However, he will remain active with the VPAC in his new role as Artistic Director. 

“It is an honor to pass the executive leadership of the Vilar Performing Arts Center to Cameron, a proven arts administrator with incredible commitment to our community,” Hutchinson said. “He has greatly elevated the operations of the Vail Dance Festival over his many years of involvement and brings unique vision to his new position. In my new role as VPAC’s new Artistic Director, I am thrilled to explore ambitious artistic endeavors that bring astounding artists to our mountain stage, continuing VPAC’s commitment to programmatic excellence.”

Morgan has enjoyed a dynamic life and career on his journey to becoming the VPAC Executive Director. He grew up on his family’s beef cattle and chicken farm in South Alabama. He began his on-stage career performing in musical theater productions when he was seven and booked his first paid gig at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival when he was 12. He also began taking dance classes when he was 12, and his passion for dance and live performing arts took him to college at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned dual degrees in Ballet Performance and Public Relations. 

After college, Morgan performed for two seasons in Rhode Island at Festival Ballet Providence (now Ballet RI) and he has completed three professional contracts as a performer onboard cruise ships. As an artist and performer, Cameron has a proficient understanding of the intricacies of performing arts venues, and the complexities of live performance production. 

He also has many years of experience working with the Vail Valley Foundation’s Gerald R Ford Amphitheater and Vilar Performing Arts Center. He first started with the VVF as a Vail Dance Festival intern in summer 2015. He joined the VVF full-time in January 2021 as Festival Manager for the Vail Dance Festival and also been a critical part of Vail Valley Foundation operations teams on projects like the GoPro Mountain Games and the Xfinity Birds of Prey ski races. 

The Vilar Performing Arts Center recently celebrated its 25^th season, and in that time has become an iconic aspect to culture and the performing arts in the Rocky Mountains. Visit vilarpac.org to see the current lineup and learn more.