Exploring Innovation Across Disciplines with Iowa State Alumna Eleanor Kahn

September 12, 2025 | Updated: December 5, 2025

Iowa State University alumna Eleanor Kahn returned to campus September 29 through October 2 to blend art, design, and community engagement. Her visit was part of the LAS Alumni Innovators program and was designed to inspire students to explore new possibilities in the field. Her visit was co-sponsored by Start Something LAS, the Department of Music and Theatre, and the Student Innovation Center with support from the Lectures Program.

Eleanor (pictured right) is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary designer working across theatrical design, public art, immersive installations, and experiential events. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a second major in Performing Arts from Iowa State University and an MFA in Scenic Design from Boston University. Since moving to Chicago in 2012, she has designed more than 200 productions ranging from storefront ensembles to national tours and large-scale public projects. Her long-standing collaborations include work with Free Street Theater, known for its commitment to social justice and youth performance, and she is the co-creator and designer of FORTS!, which received the 2025 TYA Award for Artistic Innovation. Her work has also been seen on the mainstage of The Second City, in Millennium Park, at historic Thalia Hall, the Chicago Athletic Association, and at major music venues across the country.

“I am so excited to return to Iowa State in this capacity! ISU is where I started to become the artist I am today. I still have core memories of when a professor helped guide my path and saw things in me that I did not see yet, or I experienced a space in an unforgettable way that has shaped who I have become. My undergrad path felt very non-traditional and it is such an honor to feel that celebrated, appropriately through an intersection of multiple departments, in my residency this fall,” said Eleanor.

Her creative achievements have been recognized widely. She is the recipient of the 2018 Equity Jeff Award for Artistic Specialization for her prop design and set dressing for Windy City Playhouse’s Southern Gothic, the 2019 Theatre Alumni of the Year Award from Iowa State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and was recently named one of NewCity Magazine’s Top 50 Players Who Really Perform for Chicago.

“Eleanor Kahn is one of the most creative and innovative artists I have ever met. I loved collaborating with her when she was a student. And watching her career soar over the last two decades has been such a joy. I think she will inspire our students to dream big, not be afraid to take risks and allow their passion and creativity to drive their purpose in life,” said Brad Dell, Department Chair of Music and Theatre.

Iowa State Students had several opportunities to interact with Eleanor during her time on campus at both student focused and public events (open to faculty, staff, students, and members of the community) including:

University Lecture (open to the public): Designing Beyond the Blueprint: From Architecture to Theater and the Spaces in Between

Monday, September 29, 6 PM | 2630 Memorial Union | (open to the public)

Eleanor’s lecture explored what happens when you take design beyond the expected lines and let story lead the way. She took the audience behind the scenes of her freelance journey—from architecture to theatre and into creative spaces beyond. Through real projects and personal stories, she showed how blending disciplines and shifting scales shaped a career as diverse and dynamic as the stories themselves.

Presentation to Undergraduate Courses in Music and Theatre

Tuesday, September 30

Presentation to Undergraduate Students Enrolled in the Start Something LAS Academy

Tuesday, September 30

Public Art Installation: Inspiration Constellation

Wednesday, October 1, 1-4 PM | Student Innovation Center Atrium | (open to the public)

Everyone was invited to stop by the first-floor atrium of the Student Innovation Center on Wednesday, October 1, from 1–4 PM to collaboratively create the Inspiration Constellation by adding the place that inspired them to the installation.

Eleanor’s past projects demonstrate her expertise in creating immersive, audience-driven experiences. In 2019, she designed an installation across from Cloud Gate in Millennium Park as part of Chicago’s Year of Theatre celebration, a public art activation that highlighted the city’s vibrant theatre scene. She is also the co-creator and designer of the afformentioned FORTS! Build Your Own Adventure (pictured right), a hands-on fort-building experience where participants shape the environment themselves, guiding the progression of the narrative through play. Both projects highlight Eleanor’s expertise in creating immersive, audience-driven experiences, a perspective she will bring to her Iowa State installation, Inspiration Constellation.

“We were thrilled to have Eleanor create a connected and inspiring installation within the Student Innovation Center that will allow all faculty, staff, and students to see themselves as integral components of our collaborative work!” said Tera Lawson, Senior Program Specialist, Student Innovation Center.

Eleanor led an interactive installation called Inspiration Constellation at the Student Innovation Center with assistance from students in Start Something LAS and the Department of Music and Theatre — Callie Server, Cyntechy Boduo, Amelia Shafer, and Pharaoh Lloyd. In collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and community members, participants helped build a living constellation of inspiration, highlighting the interdisciplinary connections and creativity found across Iowa State’s campus. The installation explored how environments shaped the ways people see and connect with the world.

The Public Art Installation: Inspiration Constellation will be available for viewing through October 7th.

Inspiration Constellation Reception

Wednesday, October 1, 4-5 PM | Student Innovation Center Atrium | (open to the public)

Everyone was invited to stop by the first-floor atrium of the Student Innovation Center on Wednesday, October 1, from 4–5 PM for an opening reception. Brief remarks were shared by Brad Dell, Chair of the Department of Music and Theatre, Jeff Bull, Director of Start Something LAS, and Eleanor Kahn.

Cyclone Theatre Major for a Day

Thursday, October 2, 10-4 PM | Fisher Theatre

This recruitment event for prospective students featured a performance of ISU Theatre’s production of Julius Caesar, workshops with Theatre faculty, a panel discussion with current students, and a Q&A with Eleanor.

Eleanor’s visit, as part of the LAS Alumni Innovators program, was a great opportunity to showcase that the paths students will walk in the future are full of endless possibilities.

“The idea behind this program was to get students to think beyond the classroom and open their eyes to what was possible in their chosen field. By bringing in alumni who had gone through the students’ program and had charted a course in innovation or entrepreneurship, we hoped to show students that you never know where your career will take you, but the great news is that you get to decide,” said Jeff Bull, Director of Start Something LAS.