Bridget Benton Appointed Cincinnati Arts Association's Chief Operating Officer

The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) has announced the appointment of Bridget Benton as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Bridget previously worked for CAA as the General Manager of the Aronoff Center for the Arts from September 2022 – August 2024. 

As COO, Bridget plays a pivotal role in steering one of the Greater Cincinnati region’s premier performing arts organizations and oversees the operations of the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. With a career steeped in arts management and operational excellence, Bridget brings a wealth of experience to her position, combining strategic oversight with a passion for community engagement and artistic innovation.

“We are delighted to welcome Bridget to her newest role with the Cincinnati Arts Association family,” said Steve Loftin, CAA President. “Her previous experience with CAA, combined with her sensitivity, wisdom, creativity, and exceptional work ethic, will be a great asset to our team. As COO, she will bring her abundant talents and focus on the guest experience to our entire operation.”

Bridget grew up in Northern Kentucky and spent many years building her professional career outside of Greater Cincinnati. She spent ten years in Utah, where she served as an assistant dean at Brigham Young University, overseeing the operations of the Harris Fine Arts Center and curating its BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series and the Listen Up! Series. She returned to the region in August 2022 to join the Cincinnati Arts Association as the General Manager of the Aronoff Center.

Bridget completed her undergraduate studies at Hanover College and holds an MFA degree in Stage Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of the International Association of Venue Managers and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.

“The opportunity to return to Cincinnati has been incredibly special to me,” said Bridget. “This is a community that I love and am eager to continue to serve. The region has a rich cultural ecosystem and is poised to continue an upward trajectory, and I am excited to play a role in that growth and progress.”

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than two million students and adults.

CAA is a member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Visit Cincinnati (formerly Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau), Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce.