Teaching Artist
Philippe Petit
High wire artist Philippe Petit writes, draws, performs close-up magic, practices lock-picking and eighteenth century timber framing, plays chess, studies French wine, gives lectures on creativity, directs theater plays and tightrope master classes, is an accomplished pickpocket, and was once sighted bullfighting in Peru.
Petit, author of eleven books, including “Creativity: The Perfect Crime,” "To Reach the Clouds" and “Why Knot?" has been artist-in-residence of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for more than 30 years and has performed on the high wire more than 80 times around the world. He has been a featured speaker at TED and other national venues and he also walks on the wire and does street performances whenever (and wherever) he likes.
Photo of Philippe Petit: Matthew Bannister & Keith Bomely DBOX