Jill Brienza served at the helm of SPC as Board Chair for over 15 years, pushing beyond the conventional boundaries of the role and stewarding the company through an exceptional period of change and growth. Her long professional tenure in the art world was instrumental in developing notable collaborations for the company that expanded its connection to the arts, fashion, and cultural communities, as well as helping to secure the pathway for the founding of the Petronio Residency Center. Notable examples include:
Stephen Petronio and Jill Brienza
American Landscapes (2019)
Brienza was Curator for Stephen Petronio Company’s collaboration with visual artist Robert Longo. Brienza collaborated closely with Petronio and Longo to shape the arc of images for this major company work. (see selected works)
American Landscapes (2018) Photos: Ian Douglas
Robert Longo/Narciso Rodriguez Tote (2016)
The limited-edition leather tote was conceived and produced by Brienza and designed by fashion leader Narciso Rodriguez with images from visual artist Robert Longo’s “Men in the Cities” series. The tote was launched at a benefit event for SPC at Metro Pictures, New York, in May 2016, and is in the permanent collection of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Photo: Christian Witkin
Into the Maze (2017)
Brienza invited SPC to activate Alan Shields’s (1944-2005) life-size installation, “The Maze.” Performances took place at the Parish Art Museum, Watermill, NY, and Van Doren Waxter, New York City, NY, and video was displayed at SITE Santa Fe, NM. The Company performed to music by Tom Lurie, based on a never realized composition by Shields himself, while outfitted in wearable pieces by Shields.
American Bridge Project (2017)
Brienza curated and produced the installation of works by Robert Longo across the iconic Lexington Avenue bridges of Hunter College. The installation set the stage for Petronio’s Bloodlines performance of Yvonne Rainer’s masterwork “Trio A with Flags” at Hunter College, New York. For this Installation Longo offered a space wrapped in iconic images of the American flag, reclaiming its power for free speech and artistic freedom.
Photos: Christian Witkin