Kira Corser

Resume 1

Kira Carrillo Corser
Resume Arts Leadership Position 12/15/2013
kiracorser@gmail.com • www.kiracorser.com • (510) 684-4651

I. Experienced in an advisory capacity to city and county councils and with city planners, promoting and building arts sustainability, administrating grants for over 100 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and developing and implementing regional plans in Monterey County in the following positions: (5 years)

  1. Coordinator for The James Irvine Foundation Initiative to build sustainability in arts and cultural nonprofits titled, Communities Advancing the Arts. Employed by the Community Foundation for Monterey County. 2004 – 2007
  1. Director of Arts and Education, Arts Council for Monterey County 2007 – 2009

Successful Outcomes:

  • Encouraged art & cultural asset support: by building a 140 member Arts List -Serve, with monthly meetings & expert speakers in technology and arts sustaining best practices, “FAN” (Future Audience Network) with successful joint marketing efforts
  • Integrated community and nonprofit partnerships by connecting and collaborating. These include:  Monterey County Arts Council, Poder Popular a California Endowment Community farm worker project and foundation staff with city and county outreach; resulting in co-founding the South Monterey County Arts and Technology Center, new Greenfield Arts and Culture Center, and County Creative Technologies Economic Cluster, and City of Soledad SoMoCoCAT Task Force.
  • Showcased and supported 100 non-profit arts and culture organizations through published joint marketing, grants administration, connections, and city leader participation One response: “This was the best marketing outcome we did in three years!” – Robin Venuti, Public Relations Director, Monterey Museum of Art.
  • Presented reports at board meetings, budget and foundation reviews and met with councils and county representatives resulting in continued county support of the Arts Council of over $300,000, city and school contracts of over $150,000.
  • Assisted in new donor development, and increasing Endowment Funds for the Arts Council for Monterey County and other arts organizations
  • Researching, promoting county and city collaboration, and developing and implementing a successful county Arts Action Plan

II. Experienced in local & national collaborative projects (25-years) including:

  • My work on NBC broadcasts with President Clinton, on HBO with Robin Williams as part of Comic Relief, and behind Senator Kennedy in national broadcasts
  • Showings and lectures n galleries, museums, universities, state capitals, the U.S. Senate and Congress buildings
  • Forming collaborative partnerships of arts, nonprofits and legislative representatives.
  • Co-directing projects, writing grants, books, and publicity, photography and video

Successful Outcomes:

Encouraged art & cultural asset support: Designed 10 large community projects sponsored by foundations, arts nonprofits, often with county or city government.

  1. Mi Vida: My Life Project – Founded 2-year project and build a network of supporters and collaborators. Residents reflected on their lives through paintings, photographs, book making, writing, poetry and puppetry, supported by James Irvine Foundation, Community Foundation for Monterey County, the Arts Council for Monterey County, First Night, County Office of Education, Artistas Unidos/Artists United, County Library System, Mission Cultural Center San Francisco and others
  1. Co-Director Where is Art? Art Is Here! – ¿Dónde está el Arte? ¡El arte está Aquí! – Founded and built network for 3-year countywide project to encourage residents to participate in the arts and events that point out the importance of art in everyday life, such as historic architecture walks with creative signage.
  1. Director “Human Cultural Kaleidoscope” installation at the Monterey Conference Center for First Night Monterey, an art festival for thousands attending on New Years Eve. Included community participation in a changing projected Kaleidoscope.
  1. Director of Art Connecting Communities, a California Project promoting non-violence and hope for families overcoming violence. San Diego region participants include Iraqi refugee families in El Cajon, Homeless teens, and San Diego ArtWalk with 600 participants. http://www.artconnectingcommunities.org
  1. Current Team Leader of San Diego Based Project promoting conservation through innovation and art, Sea Changes Act. I formed at team of national, state, local participants with scientists and artists working collaboratively. Will show in Oceanside Museum of Art April 2014 as part of the San Diego Visual Arts Network’s DNA of Creativity Grant Projects http://www.seachanges.org
  1. Documentary Producer/Artist- San Diego Foundation’s Creative Catalyst Project, The Door is Open: An Intergenerational Dance Project 2012

III. Other Qualifications:

  • Masters in Fine Art – John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley Annex 2006
  • Bachelor of Science in Journalism  – San Diego State University, 1984
  • Staff photographer KPBS public broadcasting TV and radio in San Diego 1979-89
  • Over 20 awards/grants for photography work including:  National Endowment for the Arts Award, California State Senate Award for Artistic Excellence and Social Collaboration, California Council for the Arts, California Wellness Foundation
  • 3 books and 4 Nationally Traveled Exhibitions 
  • Photography showings include Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, Ansel Adams Gallery, the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C., the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas and the Omni Hotel’s L Street Fine Art Gallery in San Diego