Be revolutionary. Operate with integrity. Lead with curiosity.

MEET OUR FOUNDER & PRINCIPALCSU

Kira Burge has 20 years of experience developing and leading art events, exhibitions, and programs, working with a myriad of artistic talents to curate indelible moments for a diverse spectrum of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI) and general audiences.

Central to Kira's ethos is the conviction that artists have an essential societal role; their ability to translate complex ideas and challenging questions into approachable forms supports us in tackling the world’s toughest challenges.

Kira is the Executive Director of Converge 45 and has advised Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft and Starbucks, to plan, curate, and grow art initiatives and collections.

Select work by Kira Burge

  • Supported Global Art Program director to prepare proposals for C-suite executives for new global and local art initiatives.

    Conducted market landscaping/analysis and wrote detailed program plans for proposed art initiatives.

    Collaborated with the company’s in-house legal counsel to revise the existing contract suite to be more artist-friendly while maintaining IP integrity.

  • Led the visioning and planning process for Art+Flight, a museum-wide exhibition that brought 30+ contemporary artists into dialog with the region's rich aerospace history.

    Worked closely with museum leadership across every department to envision the exhibition.

    Supported the first-time creation of legal templates for artwork loans, commissions, and artist residencies. Provided coaching to key team members on best practices for working with artists.

    The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air, and space museum in the world. Located just south of Seattle. It welcomes 500,000+ visitors, including 140,000+ students annually.

  • Led a team of museum professionals to curate, acquire, and install two-dimensional art pieces, custom sculptures, and murals at Microsoft offices in New York City, Washington D.C. metro area, and Montreal. Each workspace prioritized placemaking, with an emphasis on showcasing local artists and assembling a distinct grouping of artworks that complimented the interior and architectural design.

    Led the strategic planning and implementation of the art-focused employee engagement program in alignment with DEI and accessibility policies. Achieved record engagement and event attendance.

  • Launched and led the Seattle Art Fair for Paul G. Allen’s art collection and entertainment division for the first 6 years of the event.

    Achieved record profits and attendance, welcoming galleries from around the globe. Managed a robust program of commissioned performances, projects, talks, and VIP experiences in partnership with galleries, arts organizations, corporate sponsors, and collectors.

    The visionary founder of the Seattle Art Fair, Paul G. Allen, created the fair to be a one-of-a-kind destination for the best in modern and contemporary art, and a showcase of the thriving art community in the Pacific Northwest.

    The first edition of the fair was held in 2015 with 60+ galleries complimented by a city-wide footprint of commissioned projects. By the fifth edition (2019), the fair had grown to 125+ galleries and public programs, and offered unmatched VIP experiences to High-Net-Worth Individuals. Over the first 6 years, the Seattle Art Fair received significant media coverage, and welcomed a cumulative total of 100,000+ attendees to the 250,000+ sq ft convention space at the Seahawks football stadium.

Kira Burge provided art consulting services to Microsoft and The Museum of Flight while working for The Lumiere Group, and worked on Seattle Art Fair as an employee of Vulcan, Inc. and a consultant for AMP Events. Visual content on this page is courtesy of Microsoft, Seattle Art Fair, Vulcan, Inc., and AMP Events.

Artwork by Rose Jaffe, Joe Nix, Jessica Dolence, Harriet Salmon, Jeffrey Stenbom, Bigerts & Bergstrom, Heather Dewey Hagborg, Jeffry Mitchell, Neon Saltwater, Maria Hupfield & Charlene Vickers, Wayne White, Breadface, and Mark Pauline, among others.