Jacksonville's diverse arts infrastructure and the community's commitment to supporting the arts are what attracted Kim Bergeron to leave Louisiana and move into the executive director's office at the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
Her first day on the job was Friday. Bergeron succeeds Robert Arleigh White, who retired Sept. 30 after 13 years.
"I've been exploring the area and discovering the fantastic arts community," Bergeron said.
For 10 years, she was the City of Slidell, La.'s director of cultural and public affairs, where she oversaw marketing, public relations, cultural events, art education programs and exhibits in the city-owned art gallery inside Slidell's City Hall.
Bergeron earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. She has received more than 15 Addy Awards from the American Advertising Federation and was named by New Orleans City Business Magazine as one of its "50 Business Women of the Year."
One of her first projects will be to meet partners the Cultural Council has developed, including city officials and members of the business community, she said.
"Slidell is a small community that's really into the arts. A lot of what we did was free, so we had to rely on corporate sponsorships and patrons," said Bergeron.
With a small staff in a city with a population of just 27,000, Bergeron developed an arts season that featured more than 30 events with attendance as high as 10,000 visitors. She produced outdoor symphony concerts and formed a partnership with the New Orleans Museum of Art that brought major exhibits to Slidell including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol.
One of Bergeron's projects will be to establish a "Cultural Explorers Club" as a way to involve children up to age 18 and their parents in appreciating the arts.
Visiting Jacksonville's arts venues and getting to know the people in the community also are on Bergeron's to-do list.
"Jacksonville has so many arts organizations and such a diverse arts community. There is no reason Jacksonville can't be a major arts destination. It's all here, it's just a question of packaging it," Bergeron said.
Diane Brunet-Garcia, chair of the Cultural Council board, said Bergeron was selected from more than 120 applicants for the executive director position.
"It was a local, national and international search. Kim will bring a fresh perspective with her years of arts and culture management experience and she has a willingness to think outside the box," said Brunet-Garcia.
Bergeron said she appreciates the possibilities Jacksonville offers in terms of opportunity to enjoy arts and culture.
"Art is so much a part of everyday life. Our job is to immerse people in the arts. I hope the people of Jacksonville realize what a gem you have in the arts community," said Bergeron.
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