KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo has announced the addition of Kim Shaw to its staff.
Shaw will join the ACGK as the Programs Director. She will be tasked with executing all programs for the arts council which include, but are not limited to, Art Hop, Summertime Live, Concerts in the Park, Music in the Plaza, Art on the Mall, Blue Skies Busking, Creative Café, and programming in Haymarket Plaza.
“We are excited to be able to work with Kim Shaw in this pivotal role for the Arts Council,” said Executive Director Kristen Chesak. “The Programs Director is in charge of most of our programming that touches both members and the public. Kim is an artist in her own right, bringing a depth of knowledge and concern for making sure that these programs meet the needs of our members as well as concern for how the public wishes to have creative experiences.”
Prior to joining the ACGK, Shaw worked primarily as an educator, illustrator, and working artmaker with an emphasis on painting and the practice of expressive art therapy.
Most recently, Shaw taught at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Education for the Arts.
Her other educational endeavors include serving as the Arts Director/Art Educator at Kazoo School, on the arts faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and teaching at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
A graduate of both Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Shaw holds degrees in Illustration and Studio Arts with a focus in Art Education and Painting.
According to a news release from the ACGK, the focus of Shaw’s work will be to grow individual and community enrichment through creative process, collaboration, active art-making, and human experience. It goes onto say that Shaw will strive to stay connected to current world art makers, new ideas, and artistic partnerships. Social justice, equity, and restorative justice are a priority in Shaw’s personal education and the programming she cultivates in the community.
A 2022 Community Arts Award recipient for Gayle Hoogstraten Arts Leadership Award as an Educator, Shaw says she is excited to bring her passion for the arts community into her work at the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo
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