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Reposting from the SB Sun- printed Friday, December 14th, 2018. Written by Brian Whitehead. Photos by John Valenzuela
“Jennifer Kane is enamored with the downtown San Bernardino Breezeway.
“You talk about places being pedestrian-friendly,” she said, “and how those areas draw people in, the Breezeway does that for me.”As executive director of Arts Connection, a San Bernardino County nonprofit serving artists, art organizations, art patrons and the community, Kane wants the Breezeway – and downtown San Bernardino, for that matter – to bustle again.
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On Thursday, Dec. 13, the 35-year-old was joined by several dozen people who want the same.Arts Connection, The Little Gallery of San Bernardino, David Friedman and Viva La Boba this week held an imaginative Art Walk and Community Mixer in the heart of the city, providing residents, artists and city officials an opportunity to discuss the area’s promise as a destinatio“Everybody needs a reason to go downtown,” said Kane, in her ninth month as executive director. “You got Molly’s there, which is a fun and funky place. The Harris building. Historic sites on all four corners. … There isn’t a lot of art there now, so this was my idea to bring people together to imagine what’s possible.”
Kane’s passion for art precedes her time with Arts Connection.
Living in South Thailand as a member of the Peace Corps, the Joshua Tree resident said she used photography, drawing, painting, dance movement and other forms of expression to connect with non-English-speaking communities. Upon returning, Kane earned her master’s degree in administration from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
After spending a couple of years as a senior mountain guide for the National Park Service, Kane nabbed her current role at Arts Connection.
In addition to organizing Thursday’s Art Walk, Kane has been working on a grant proposal to start an art and market night downtown.
“We want to expand what’s happening on the Breezeway,” she said. “Start something consistent, community-run.”
Ideally, Kane added, San Bernardino County and the cities within it start putting resources behind the group’s mission.
“We’re the biggest county in the lowest 48 states, and we have an arts council that serves the entire county with one part-time executive director and a very, very small budget,” Kane said. “We lack county and city support at the moment. We have to change that.
“If (county and city representatives) truly believe in the power of art culture, they have to be on board.”
