The Arts Lounge curates, produces and presents “visual arts meets culinary arts” experiences that are designed to unlock whole new worlds of perception and enhance the way people connect to history, people, places, and the cornerstone organizations behind them.
We believe whether it’s an artist studio, a kitchen, a workshop, a museum or a winery, working in these environments foster “creator” sensibilities. It is in these spaces where some of the richest moments of our lives are discovered. We are committed to crafting experiences that surface those nuances of the visual and culinary arts rarely pondered, so that elements once imperceptible become our daily pleasure.
We have hosted and curated bespoke experiences for scores of audiences including Four Seasons hotel guests, SFMOMA members, and Napa Valley wine enthusiasts. We have delivered on complex projects ranging from intimate private gatherings to large-scale public events. We were the 2010 Gold MUSE award-winner for excellence in digital media used to engage museum audiences. Our stories were featured in Wine & Philosophy, (Blackwell Publishing), one of Wine Spectator’s best new books of the year.
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About Kirsten Shilakes
Founder, The Arts Lounge
Drawing from decades of art history knowledge, Kirsten skillfully decodes the visual arts, referencing it subtly through shape, line, color and texture – making something once imperceptible appear in vivid, amplified form. The result: she opens up whole new worlds in which people can connect to the visual and culinary arts.
Kirsten is a fusion of host, curator, creative technologist and arts educator with over 15 years of experience as a presenter of the visual arts ranging from ancient Asian to contemporary American works. Formerly, Kirsten served as a docent lecturer at the Asian Art Museum and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for over a decade, where she underwent six years of museum training. She has studied wine at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley and the art of sake in Kamakura, Japan. Kirsten has served on the Jade Circle, Asian Art Museum and ArtTable of Northern California (a national organization supporting women leaders in the visual arts) committees. She earned her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley. She lives with her family under the redwoods in Mill Valley, California.