Katie Kurcz was an arts administrator who dedicated her career to building awareness and capacity for arts organizations. Katie knew better than most people about the impact of the arts on individuals and communities. A talented painter in her own right, Katie supported the visual, performing, and language arts, and after attending graduate school, she worked for almost a decade with arts organizations across Chicago. 

Katie became acquainted with Snow City Arts in 2010, and shortly thereafter volunteered to be the founding co-chair of the Snow City Arts Auxiliary Board. For seven years, she led the charge to build a strong, capable network of advocates. Her contributions and dedication had a profound impact on Snow City Arts, and much of the Auxiliary Board’s success can be traced directly to Katie’s energy, passion, and boundless spirit. Her establishment of Team Snow City Arts, a group of staff, board, and supporters who participate in our annual fundraising run, has generated tens of thousands of dollars and has brought awareness of our mission to hundreds of new people.

For the nearly two years that Katie battled cancer, she continued to be driven by her dedication to the arts, and never wavered in her passion for Snow City Arts and our important work. As she spent those months in and out of treatment, she developed a new perspective and appreciation for how a creative enrichment could bolster the most vulnerable among us, and developed a renewed interest in supporting the teaching artists who facilitate moments of freedom and creativity in the otherwise-hectic lives of young people in hospitals.

We are forever grateful to Katie and her immense impact on Snow City Arts, and have created the Katie Kurcz Memorial Fund in celebration of her talent, passion, and spirit.