After many years in art and theater in Chicago, Wormfarm Institute co-founders Donna Neuwirth and Jay Salinas moved to a small farm in Wisconsin in 1993. Seduced by the life in the soil and struck by the parallels in process between farming and art making, they formed the Wormfarm Institute in 2000 and began an Artist Residency program. Donna has a BFA in Theatre from The Art Institute of Chicago. After a brief career in professional theater she operated a scenic design company that specialized in themed special events. A self-described Impresario, Donna's event work continued on an organic vegetable farm. As Wormfarm's Executive Director, she has developed and implemented numerous ambitious public art projects at the intersection of culture and agriculture.