OPUS VII Recognizes Stephanie Pearl Kimmel
OPUS VII awards local chef and business owner, Stephanie Pearl Kimmel, with the official OPUS Recognition Friday, March 4th, 2011 from 6:30-7:30pm.
Stephanie Pearl Kimmel has been serving – literally and figuratively – the Eugene community for more than 35 years, and OPUS VII has chosen to honor her with the third showcase in their Recognitions series. The March 4th reception will honor Kimmel with a retrospective exhibit that spans her career, from her first espressos at the New World Coffee House to her first Oregon wines at the Excelsior Café to the destination restaurant that is Marché. Kimmel’s colleagues and friends will toast her and enjoy examples of her art in the form of signature hors d’oeuvres.
As a chef, Kimmel is known across the nation as a pioneer in the movement to support local, seasonal, and sustainably raised food. Over the course of her career, she has been a tireless advocate for farmers and for women in the arts and restaurant business communities, both in Eugene and on a national level. She has been honored by the James Beard Foundation, Cascadia Culinary Institute, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, and been featured in the national media, including the New York Times, Bon Appetit, the Discovery Channel and many more. An ambassador for the development of Oregon’s thriving food community, Kimmel is also a mentor to countless chefs and businesspeople who’ve learned under her leadership – alumni from her restaurants have been celebrated in cities all over the world. Her philosophy of honoring health, landscape and living well extends beyond the restaurant world to the community at large. In June of 2011, Kimmel visited the White House as a delegate to the Chefs Move to Schools program and has since joined the effort to bring ever-healthier food to the tables of the 4J school district. She has served on countless boards and projects, including the Eugene city commission, the OLCC, WCR, the Oregon Truffle Festival, the International Pinot Noir Celebration, the Oregon Restaurant Association and, currently, the Eugene Symphony.
Although her influence is broad, her focus has always been to support the incredible food and farmers of the Southern Willamette Valley. She maintains a connection with the farmers, plays a hands-on role in managing her businesses and can often be found visiting with regulars tableside at Marché or in the kitchen at Marché Provisions, guiding techniques and menus or brainstorming with her team – including her daughter, Leah – about new projects on the horizon.
More about Recognitions: Every other month an OPUS VII Recognition is given to a member of the community whose work and ideas inspire and have a transformative effect on our lives. One or more individuals who have been recognized during the year will be chosen to receive the OPUS PRIZE of $5,000. Stephanie will be the third leader in the community to receive a recognition from OPUS VII.
EVENING’S SCHEDULE
6:30-7:30pm
Other events occurring at OPUS VII the same evening: Opening reception for “Form Follows Funk” exhibit to include Eugene’s First Friday Art Walk brief introduction and interview of David Funk by host, UO Grad students Sarah Brothers and Daniel Linver at 5:30pm. 5:30 – 9:00pm.
Facebook invite page here.
For more information, contact Cindy Ingram, Director of Membership and Events.
