27th Annual Governor's Arts Award - Nevada Arts Council

LEADERSHIP IN THE ARTS: INDIVIDUAL
JILL BERRYMAN, RENO
With the Sierra Arts Foundation since 1995, first as Program Director and now
as Executive Director, Jill Berryman has been instrumental in the success of many
of the organization's major initiatives, including Arts Alternatives, a year-round
program targeting at-risk youth at alternative schools and detention centers, and
the acquisition and conversion of the Riverside Hotel into the Riverside Artist
Lofts, a project that has been recognized with numerous national awards.
Berryman's commitment to the arts and arts education expands beyond the
workday and Reno city limits. In his nomination letter John Fowler, president of
the Sierra Arts Foundation board, wrote, “Position and leadership are not the
same. Positions are merely platforms from which leadership can be performed.As
a leader, Jill has vision and is willing to invest herself totally to make it happen.As
a leader she directly attracts others to her passion and empowers them to
participate at levels they would not otherwise reach.” Her passion has led
Berryman to a dizzying array of commitments, including the development of Youth
ArtWorks, and board and committee work for the Kennedy Center Arts
Education Alliance, the Nevada Alliance for Arts Education, Western States Arts
Federation and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Originally
from Smith Valley, NV, Berryman earned a BA in Print Journalism, with a minor in
Anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Before joining Sierra Arts, she
worked in the museum field and as a museums and galleries consultant.