ARTworks names new Director
The Arts Council of Beaufort County has announced that Kimberly Sullivan has been selected its new Executive Director. She brings over 25+ years of experience teaching art and a history of successful entrepreneurial experiences that have given her the knowledge and skills to lead the Arts Council of Beaufort County.
Sullivan moved to Beaufort in 2014 and opened her own studio, “A Brush Across America”, a studio with no walls and that teaches people to paint nature’s landscapes alongside her. With an entrepreneurial spirit, creative mind, and blank canvas, Sullivan is excited to take on the Executive Director position.
Sullivan joins the Arts Council of Beaufort County at a very critical time, as the organization is in the midst of rolling out a long range plan. Dick Stewart, President of the Board comments, “The Arts Council is heading in a new direction and as we begin to increase class offerings and restructure the organization, Kim has exactly the experience, contacts, drive and personality to build the Arts Council into the organization we have been discussing during the past several months. Readers familiar with schools such as Penland, Arrowmont and Haystack can expect to see us moving in that direction.”
The Arts Council was founded in 1991 and currently has a 10 member Board. Additional committees and opportunities for volunteer involvement are in the works.
Sullivan comments, “There’s a lot of excitement around the Arts Council and where it’s heading, as there should be. This is the place where artists support each other and collaborate together, where artists and art lovers alike can come together to appreciate each other’s work, learn from each other and teach beginners as well as advanced artists the skills and techniques that allow creative minds to produce work that becomes a real statement. For those reasons alone, the reward far exceeds the challenge. One challenge that is taking priority right now is the search for an experienced volunteer coordinator and we will be posting that job online shortly.”
Aside from taking on the Executive Director role, Sullivan is a mother to three children; Karamie, who is studying broadcast journalism at the University of South Carolina; Tanner, who is going into graduate school at Winthrop University for psychology; and Skyler, her youngest son, who lives with her in Beaufort and is studying art. Sullivan continues to work as an artist outside of the Arts Council and her most recent painting, “Moment of Silence” has received statewide recognition.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Sanborn, at 843-521-9000.
