George J. Kurz -Juror

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George Kurz is the President and CFO of the HoneyBaked Ham Company, which was founded by his grandfather in Detroit in 1957.  The Ohio division operates stores in 12 states, and they have been leaders in evolving the brand in new directions, including franchise growth, kiosks in select grocery stores, a strong catering business, and most recently a very popular full service breakfast/lunch restaurant now open in Dublin, Ohio.

He and his wife Linda are avid collectors of Contemporary Art and Modern and Contemporary Design.  They have been collecting actively since the mid-90’s and travel extensively to visit galleries, museums, and art fairs.  Their collection is focused on photographs, works on paper, and sculpture, as well as vintage furniture and design objects from internationally known artists and designers.  Their collection includes pieces by Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt, Robert Mapplethorpe, Christopher Wool, Jean Prouve, Gerrit Rietveld, and Charles and Ray Eames.  Many of the pieces in their collection have been lent to various museums for exhibition, including the local Cincinnati Art Museum and Contemporary Art Center.

“In this challenging business environment, innovation and creativity is critical to success.   I really believe that my passion for art and the ability to interact with the creative people that produce it has helped me be more open to new ideas and different ways of looking at things.  Being an artist takes a lot of courage- you are putting something out into the world that is completely yours, created with your hands from your unique vision.  Those of us in other fields need to apply the same courage and creativity in our daily practice in order to ensure that we and our organizations to continue to grow and thrive.”