Kathleen van Bergen
To kick off our fall/winter luncheon season, Artis—Naples CEO Kathleen van Bergen will share some behind-the-scenes information about the functioning of our premiere cultural venue Artis—Naples.
Ms. van Bergen approaches her third season at the helm of the organization, whose name was changed from The Philharmonic Center for the Arts to Artis—Naples, to mixed reaction. After all that followed, this program is sure to be a grabber.
Prior to accepting her position at Artis—Naples, Ms. van Bergen served as artistic and executive director at the acclaimed Schubert Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. Previously she worked for two of the country’s leading orchestras: the Philadelphia Orchestra, as vice president of artistic planning, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, where she was vice president and director of artistic administration.
Says Ms. van Bergen: “There’s tremendous chemistry that happens when audiences can hear artists talk about what inspires them and how the creative process unfolds. Artis—Naples is an incredible space and I would love to see what artists would do if asked to create site-specific works that really involve them in our community.”
Reflecting on the future, Kathleen van Bergen says, “Artis—Naples has an outstanding physical environment that includes two performance halls, a museum, classrooms and outdoor spaces. But these spaces are only as vibrant as the people who fill them. We can best use our space if we are as patron-focused as possible, bringing people and art together in important, relevant and innovative ways.”
The luncheon is scheduled at our usual time and place: 11:30 at Naples Hilton. Select your luncheon entree: STANDARD – Immokalee Entrée Salad with Chicken Breast; VEGETARIAN – Seasonal Fruit Plate w/ Cottage Cheese; SPECIAL NEEDS – gluten free, etc. – please specify need.
Reservations are required: $23/NPC members, $28/non-members. Guests are welcome. You may pay with cash or check at the door. To pay by credit card, use this link and follow instructions: Eventbrite. Reserve, along with your menu choice, at rsvp@naplespressclub.org or phone Rhona Saunders at 239-434-9230. Deadline to reserve (and to cancel a reservation already made) is October 20.