Jerome and Camargo Foundations se joignent ensemble!

Cynthia Gehrig

The Jerome Foundation, St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Camargo Foundation, Cassis, France, are now operating under a single governance and integrated management structure.

Created by artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill (1905–72), the Jerome and Camargo Foundations have long shared a deep trust in the power and potential of individuals to make significant contributions to the advancement of arts and culture. That will continue through the Jerome Foundation’s existing grantmaking program in Minnesota and New York City, and through the rebuilding of the Camargo Foundation’s residency program on its campus in Cassis.

Jerome supports the creation, development, and production of new works by emerging artists. Camargo operates a residential and cultural center in France to advance the work of scholars and artists.

The two foundations are coming together to pursue their individual missions, make effective use of their resources, and explore how they may work together to encourage the visionary work of individual artists, scholars, and cultural leaders. We expect to create a new mission that reflects what we are able to achieve together.

The Jerome and Camargo Foundations are interested in engaging colleagues in their consideration of programming that might result from this affiliation. We are searching for ideas about how artists, scholars, arts administrators, and organizations and institutions in the arts and humanities might use the Camargo Foundation campus effectively. We are actively seeking partnerships.

The Camargo Foundation is located in Cassis, a beautiful village of 8,000 people, twenty-six kilometers east of Marseille. Within short walking distances are the dramatic calanques and the majestic Cap Canaille. The foundation’s campus consists of five buildings and beautiful gardens on the Mediterranean Sea. The Panorama contains seven apartments, a library, a music and conference room that accommodates up to one hundred people, administrative offices, and a small group meeting room. Four apartments and an artist’s studio are in Pierrefroide. La Leque contains an apartment and music studio. La Batterie, Jerome Hill’s former home, contains a large gathering space and terrace. The Jerome Hill Greek Theater is an outdoor performance and event space. Together, the buildings and grounds provide an exceptional environment in which to think, reflect, create, write, converse, and connect. For more information, visit www.camargofoundation.org and www.jeromefdn.org.

Over the next two years, the foundations will gradually rebuild the residential fellowship program and experiment with collaborative programming undertaken with partners to explore the potential of this union and its eventual areas of focus. Priorities for exploration are:

  1. Maximizing the residency and retreat opportunities of the Camargo site to support individuals, ensembles, and small groups working on projects and open-ended areas of inquiry.
  2. Cultivating human inquiry and creativity, emphasizing cultural exchange and collaboration.

The Jerome and Camargo Foundations are committed to this affiliation and encouraged by its potential. Please contact Cynthia Gehrig with ideas and questions.