San Bernardino, CA. February 14, 2018.

Arts Connection has appointed Jennifer Kane as the new Executive Director. Ms. Kane brings 10 years of arts, education, and community leadership experience to her new role. The outgoing Executive Director, Danielle Giudici Wallis, looks forward to working with Ms. Kane and assisting the organization as Program Specialist. The board and current staff are thrilled to have Ms. Kane join the team and believe that her range of skills, experiences, and commitment to community will be a great asset to the organization.

(Photo: Elliot Ross)

Ms. Kane received her B.A. in Fine Art at Mt. St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles in 2005. After graduating, she joined the Peace Corps and began working as a community organizer, doing both outreach and educational programming. After returning to the United States in 2008, her passion for teaching and the outdoors led her to facilitate team-building and leadership programs for school-aged students across California. Her work with students reinvigorated her passion for art and its power to communicate and transform communities. In 2016 Ms. Kane earned her Master of Fine Arts degree as part of the Public Practice department at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She was mentored by some of the best in the field of social practice, led by the department visionary, founder, and chair at the time, Suzanne Lacy.

Since graduating in 2016, Ms. Kane has coordinated the Volunteer Art Program for the Joshua Tree Art Innovation Laboratory (JT Lab), a grant funded arts initiative in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park. This programming includes the weekly Artists’ Tea project, which Jennifer started in October 2016.

As Ms. Kane moves into this new role, she looks forward to the opportunity to reach out to the artists, communities, and organizations throughout the county and to continue building upon the membership ties and mission which the organization has already worked so hard to build.