No stranger to Brucemore and the local arts scene, Jim Kern will provide comically nostalgic insight into A Modern Salon with this year's theme, "tradition." As former Assistant Director and Executive Director at Brucemore, Jim was instrumental in expanding the educational programs, tour menu, building and landscape preservation activities, and arts and culture events offered on the estate. Now that he is officially retired, his biography is a list of former exploits and careers: teacher, stage director, actor, restaurateur, historic site director, development director, caterer, and Oprah panelist. In short, he could never quite figure out what he wanted to be when and if he grew up. He currently serves as Chair of the Cedar Rapids Visual Arts Commission, on the boards of the Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Theatre Cedar Rapids, and as travel group host for Destinations Unlimited. In July, he will return to the Classics at Brucemore, which he co-founded in 1996, as the Artistic Director for Cyrano de Bergerac.
SPT Theatre was founded by Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Janelle Lauer, and Jane Pini, four local performing artists looking to support, provide for, and expand the artistic opportunities available to performers and arts patrons in the Cultural Corridor. For further information about SPT Theatre, call (319) 361-5297 or visit www.spttheatre.org.
Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families. Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community. For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.
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