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Jerome Foundation Welcomes New Staff

Aug 14, 2023

The Jerome Foundation is excited to welcome three new staff members and announce role changes for two current staff to further the Foundation’s commitment to innovative and flexible grantmaking programs for early career artists and arts ecosystems, focusing on equity and amplifying the role artists and culture bearers play as changemakers in society.

President and CEO Eleanor Savage stated, “Please join me in welcoming Felix, Truc Anh (TA), and Kristen to Jerome Foundation and recognizing the great contributions of Andrea and Melissa in service of our mission. I am thrilled by the opportunity to work collaboratively with this team of imaginative and passionate arts advocates who prioritize deep relationship with the arts communities we serve and embody the Foundation values of equity, diversity, innovation, risk and humility. As the Foundation nears our 60th anniversary in 2024, we remain fiercely dedicated in our support of early career artists. Our team looks forward to deepening and evolving our grantmaking practices to serve current and future generations of artists and culture bearers.”

New Staff

 

Truc Anh Kieu (she/her)

Program Officer, MN

Born in Saigon and rooted in Minneapolis, Truc Anh (TA) is a queer, Southeast Asian artist/maker, and racial justice grantmaker. She is passionate about creating the conditions for transformative change that centers racial, gender, and disability justice, especially at the intersections of LGBTQIA+ and Southeast Asian communities. In her previous role at Borealis Philanthropy, TA supported the Racial Equity to Accelerate Change (REACH) Fund which supported racial equity practitioners/capacity builders in the nonprofit sector.

As a 1.5 generation immigrant by way of war, Truc Anh is powered by stories of resistance and resilience. She practices art for healing and for joy. In her spare time, TA can be found outside in her garden, exploring the North Shore, cooking with her friends, or reading. Truc Anh graduated from Carleton College with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology with a minor in Women & Gender Studies.

 

TA is smiling at the camera with a tree behind her

Kristen Marx (she/her)

Program Officer, MN

Kristen Marx has spent her career in service to artists and the arts sector for over 15 years through various roles at places such as the McKnight Foundation, Walker Art Center, Park Square Theatre, Ordway, and Jungle Theater. She is a passionate practitioner of equity and social change work fueled by the desire to dismantle “ism’s” and make positive change for current and future generations.

Kristen is an actress and a playwright. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.

 

Kristen is smiling at the camera against a pink background.

Felix Foster (he/him)

Grants and Program Administrator

Felix Foster connects a wide range of experience in the fields of writing, project management, and planning, with personal interests in the arts, philosophy, technology, and community engagement. He loves working with artists and community builders, while creating works of his own. Throughout his career he has served as Board Chair of Twin Cities Pride, a small businesses consultant, and has over a decade of experience working with nonprofits and foundations in Minnesota and Seattle. In his free time, he is reading, writing, creating video game concepts and co-hosting a film podcast.

Felix grins at the camera against a white background.

Staff Updates

Melissa Levin (she/her) joined the Foundation in 2022 and will now be a full-time Program Officer based in New York City.

Melissa smiles against the camera, with a flowering plant behind her.

Andrea Brown (she/her) will be the Foundation’s Finance and Operations Manager, having served as Grants and Program Administrator since 2016.

Andrea smiles at the camera against a brown wood background.