MacDowell Presents: A James Baldwin Centennial Celebration with Bill T. Jones, Lucy Liu, and Marlon James

MacDowell Presents brings together iconic artists of our time to engage in conversation about creativity and speak to the enduring influence of art.

This year, MacDowell is excited to bring back this signature event with a special tribute to the legacy of James Baldwin, who was a MacDowell Fellow multiple times between 1954 and 1960 and whose influence on the American consciousness endures today.

This centennial event, held at the historic Hotel Chelsea, features American choreographer, director, author, and dancer Bill T. Jones, critically acclaimed actress, director, producer, advocate and visual artist Lucy Liu, and award-winning author Marlon James, as well as a special introduction by MacDowell Fellow Nicholas Boggs, author of Baldwin: A Love Story, forthcoming from FSG in August 2025.

Inspired by MacDowell’s Chairman’s Evening, started by bestselling author and former Board Chair Michael Chabon, this signature event exemplifies MacDowell’s mission to shine a light on the impact that art can have on society. The intimate gathering features luminary artists and the type of unscripted, interdisciplinary discussions that happen over dinner every night between artists-in-residence on MacDowell’s 450-acre New Hampshire campus – the place Baldwin affectionately referred to as a “sanctuary for writing.”

For ticket blocks, corporate sponsorship, or questions about the event, please contact Jericho Parms, director of development and communications at jparms@macdowell.org

Bill T. Jones (Artistic Director/Co-Founder/Choreographer: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company; Artistic Director: New York Live Arts) was the Associate Artist of the 2020 Holland Festival and recipient of the 2014 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award; the 2013 National Medal of Arts; the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors; a 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography of the critically acclaimed FELA!; a 2007 Tony Award, 2007 Obie Award, and 2006 Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation CALLAWAY Award for his choreography for Spring Awakening; the 2010 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award; the 2007 USA Eileen Harris Norton Fellowship; the 2006 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography for The Seven; the 2005 Wexner Prize; the 2005 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement; the 2005 Harlem Renaissance Award; the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize; and the 1994 MacArthur “Genius” Award. In 2010, Mr. Jones was recognized as Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government, and in 2000, The Dance Heritage Coalition named Mr. Jones “An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure.”

Mr. Jones choreographed and performed worldwide with his late partner, Arnie Zane, before forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in 1982. He has created more than 140 works for his company. Mr. Jones is the Artistic Director of New York Live Arts, an organization that strives to create a robust framework in support of the nation’s dance and movement-based artists through new approaches to producing, presenting and educating. For more information visit www.newyorklivearts.org.

Lucy Liu is a critically acclaimed actress, director, producer, and advocate whose influence spans film, television, and Broadway.

Next, Liu joins Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in Amazon’s holiday adventure Red One,
releasing on November 15, 2024. In 2025, she stars in Steven Soderbergh’s Presence and
co-stars with Christoph Waltz in Old Guy.

On television, Liu starred in Why Women Kill and A Man in Full, appeared in Curb Your
Enthusiasm and Death to 2021, and lent her voice to Star Wars: Visions and Jentry. Additionally, she received a Teen Choice Award for Elementary, Critics’ Choice Award for Southland, and Emmy and SAG Award nominations for Ally McBeal.

Her filmography features blockbusters like Charlie’s Angels, Kill Bill, Chicago (Academy Award
winner), Lucky Number Slevin, Set It Up, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. She’s also voiced
characters in Tiger’s Apprentice, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (Academy Award
nominated), Kung Fu Panda, Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast, Strange World, and
The Pirate Queen (2024 Emmy-nominated VR experience).

As a director, Liu debuted with Elementary and directed episodes of Luke Cage, Graceland, Law & Order: SVU, and Why Women Kill. She also produced impactful documentaries Freedom’s Fury, Redlight, and Meena.

On Broadway, Liu debuted in God of Carnage (Tony Award winner) and served for seven years
as a Board of Trustee member for the American Theatre Wing.

Liu’s humanitarian efforts have earned the Women’s World Award, Danny Kaye Humanitarian
Award, Harvard Artist of the Year Award, and 2024 Gold Legend Award. She’s also been
honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With over three decades in the industry, Liu remains a trailblazer, known for her talent,
versatility, and commitment to meaningful storytelling.

Marlon James was born in Jamaica in 1970. His most recent novel, Moon Witch, Spider King, is the second novel in his Dark Star fantasy trilogy. Black Leopard, Red Wolf, the first novel in James's Dark Star trilogy, was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award. His novel A Brief History of Seven Killings was the winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize. He is also the author of the novels John Crow's Devil and The Book of Night Women, which won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.