Kim Cook Hired as Burning Man’s Director of Art & Civic Engagement

Kim Cook Portrait-1

San Francisco, Calif. — Burning Man is excited to announce the hire of Kim Cook, the organization’s new Director of Art & Civic Engagement, who will join us at our San Francisco headquarters beginning December 7.

The Director of Art & Civic Engagement is a new role, created to align and increase the impact of the organization’s year-round arts and civics initiatives like Burners Without Borders and Burning Man Arts, including on-playa and off-playa arts programming. Kim and her team will work with artists and community leaders to increase opportunities for funding, collaboration and learning.

Kim Cook has extensive nonprofit experience in executing innovative projects that celebrate the intersection between arts, culture, and civic life. Most recently she served as President and CEO of the Arts Council of New Orleans, where she blended art, design, and technology to address civic challenges. A cross-sector, multi-disciplinary activist by nature, Kim has been the the Artistic Director of Theater Artaud in San Francisco, Executive Director of the Oakland Youth Chorus, and Associate Director for the Nonprofit Finance Fund, where she managed arts and culture initiatives across the country. Kim has a BA in the Performing Arts and MA in Arts and Consciousness.

Raised in Berkeley, Kim has long recognized and appreciated the role Burning Man has played in creating new social and cultural models, and in supporting and celebrating personal creativity. She made her first trek to Black Rock City in 2015. In her words, “Burning Man creates an environment that heightens awareness through action, that fosters moving beyond mental constructs and into lived experiences in ways that change people. Changing people and their practice can change the world.”

We look forward to working with Kim as she applies her valuable skills and experience to support our widening community of Burning Man artists and civic leaders. Please join us in welcoming Kim Cook.

About the author: Burning Man Project

Burning Man Project

The official voice of the Burning Man organization, managed by Burning Man Project's Communications Team.

10 Comments on “Kim Cook Hired as Burning Man’s Director of Art & Civic Engagement

  • Tim green says:

    What the he’ll does a first timer know about Burning Man. Where the hell is Betty June. WTF is happening

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  • Tisch says:

    Sometimes outsiders see things insiders don’t and besides, I thought we are supposed to be the most welcoming society there is on this planet. Give the Girl a break and watch her change the world.

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  • Freehand drawing says:

    Personnel changes are one thing, the process of grants and the contract are another. The Art Grants process and contract at BM Is of the lowest standard. If they are going to fire such a hard working dedicated person…..they better damn well fix the contract and funding. Change that crap to something competent before aiming to change the world outside the trash fence.

    I wish Bettie June all the best.

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  • JV says:

    Looks like the BMORG is hiring an actual professional. Might be a good thing.

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  • As a possible first project for Kim, I suggest she schedule a friendly visit to LA for her and Larry to try to bring some light to their benighted city fathers, from the mayor on down. We’ve been without our Decom now for two years, thanks to them slow rolling the needed permits so that our organizers finally had to cancel it again. Perhaps Kim and Larry can impart some basic knowledge about LA area Burners’ economically positive, environmentally responsible, and creatively unexcelled forces that we bring to the metropolitan area of Los Angeles. Right now, they appear to be totally in the dark.

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  • Merv says:

    all good things must come to an end. here is where power and greed once again are infiltrating our sacred space. Less grants, less money, less free tickets for the people who make it all happen. letting go of a true expert. there is no resume on earth that can qualify you for Betty Junes job more than her resume. What exist on earth like this, nothing, that is why we call it home. sad to see our home, like most peaceful beautiful, spiritual places – taken over by greed and power. while they may be rumors, it sounds like Art Support and HEAT will not be of value in the new BM. I have nothing bad to say about Kim as i do not know her, but letting Betty June go and making a plan to reduce financial and on playa support for the arts is the beginning of the end.

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  • Gordon Shumway says:

    Wow, one year qualifies you now a days. Amazing, I’m sure she got the gist of it, by default.

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