Episode 238. Cynthia Torp – President/Owner, Solid Light, Inc. (A 100% Woman-Owned Business)
Cynthia’s love of storytelling coupled with her mastery of design/fabrication have helped her make an indelible mark on the museum & cultural world.
A design professional with over 35 years of experience, Cynthia has supervised the creation of unforgettable, inspired visitor experiences for museums, corporations, non-profits, universities, & visitor centers. Her love of storytelling coupled with her mastery of design /fabrication have helped her make an indelible mark on the museum & cultural world, one that has given institutions new & exciting ways to engage their visitors. Under Cynthia’s focused direction & guidance, Solid Light and its team of content, multimedia, design, & build experts have consistently produced premier, award-winning exhibit & media experiences that educate, enliven, & inspire.
Cynthia oversaw the completion of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on historic “Whiskey Row”- the 1st-ever bourbon attraction on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail within the city of Louisville. She presided over the completion of a new experience at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Nashville & the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center in Clarksville, IN. Her team has opened Sagamore Spirit, a new distillery experience in Baltimore, Maryland for Under Armour owner, Kevin Plank.
In the works is the new American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virgina, a re-envisioned Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, & the American Saddlebred Museum in Lexington, Kentucky.
Solid Light is certified as a WBE by the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC). In 2010, Cynthia received the Epic Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), recognizing her as Woman Business Owner of the Year. Most recently she was named the 2015 Distinguished Contributor by the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) in recognition of her outstanding service, leadership, & innovation in shaping the world of museums.
Throughout the years, Cynthia has generously volunteered countless hours of her time/talent for organizations like the AASLH, the Louisville Visual Arts Association, the Carnegie Center for Art & History, the Falls of the Ohio State Park, and Women 4 Women. In recognition of her service to the community, Indiana University Southeast awarded Cynthia it’s 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award. She serves on the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana board, the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME), the Kentucky Historical Society, & as a founding center member of Bourbon Women, an association of professional women in the Bourbon industry.
Cynthia is the daughter of Betty & George Wolverton & grew up with 8 other siblings in Clarksville, Indiana. She is married to retired Indiana University Southwest Professor of Art, Brian Jones. Her daughter, Heather, is a veterinarian and serves as a captain in the Army, stationed in Germany with her husband and daughter Haiden.