Growing up in Short Hills, New Jersey, Kimberly Paige Bluhm lived a storied life before she was a devoted philanthropist – from debuting alongside Cornelia Guest, the daughter of C.Z and Winston Frederick Churchill Guest at the Infirmary Ball to fulfilling her lifelong aspiration of becoming an actress.
Eventually her show business dreams came true when she landed a role as a recurring extra on “All My Children,” alongside Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. However, the realities of the industry led her to pursue other avenues, such as working for celebrity photographer Steven Meisel, the artist behind Madonna’s iconic Sex book, which she had a hand in creating. “I used to go to Madonna’s apartment at the end of the day to show her the photos and assist with the shoots,” Bluhm said. “I remember for one shoot, she was wearing a trench coat with nothing underneath it. It was on the side of the highway, and all of a sudden, she would drop the trench coat and he’d start snapping photos. It was very, very risqué. I am much more conservative, but it was very interesting to be involved with it firsthand.”
Globe Trotting
Kimberly has spent much of her adult life abroad, living in London, where her son Liam was born, and Budapest. Her time in Hungary was her first foray into the world of philanthropy. “I worked for the State Department through my husband at the time and traveled all around the country to raise money and give out grants – mostly to orphanages and misplaced children. The grants allowed for these orphanages to create nutritional programs and supplied updated books, computers and other educational necessities,” Bluhm explained.
A Perfect Romance
Now, Kimberly splits her time between Chicago, Aspen, Palm Beach and Miami, and has become a pillar in every community. In Aspen, she served on the board of Jazz Aspen, a nonprofit organization that benefits children in the Roaring Fork Valley. “We raise money to supply instruments and education to help young students, so they can express themselves through music. This organization is so important because music programs are the first to go when there are budget cuts,” Bluhm said. Jazz Aspen also hosts an annual musical festival on Labor Day, performers have included Stevie Nicks, Kieth Urban and Billy Idol. In addition, Kimberly is on the National Council of the Aspen Art Museum.
The idyllic mountainside town is where she met the love of her life, real estate and casino tycoon Neil Bluhm, on a blind date. “We were actually fixed up,” Bluhm said. “A mutual friend of ours gave Neil my phone number and we met a few months after that, and I instantly felt like I had known him forever. This is the best chapter of my life. I am married to a man I love dearly who I admire and have so much respect for. I feel very, very fortunate and blessed to have him in my life. He’s an incredible man.”
Neil shares Kimberly’s passion of giving back to the community. Among his endeavors includes The Justice Council of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern, where he founded the Bluhm Legal Clinic, which is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive and effective programs in the country. Neil was also instrumental in the creation of the cardiovascular program at Northwestern Hospital, which is aptly named the Bluhm Heart Hospital.
Giving Back: The Dreyfoos School of the Arts & Miami Dade Impact Collective
Kimberly continues to give back to the community through notable organizations in both Palm Beach and Miami. One in particular is the Miami Dade Impact Collective, a group composed of dynamic and compassionate women dedicated to addressing the needs of the underserved populations in the community. “Our mission is to expand and initiate crucial programs and services to those in need in the Miami community,” Bluhm stated. To date, the collective has raised 3.6 million dollars.
In West Palm Beach, Kimberly is devoted to the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a public high school that centers on student’s creative pursuits. “They’re singers, they’re musicians, they write poetry, they’re actors. They all have a talent,” Bluhm explained. “Some of the children are homeless, come from broken homes or are challenged financially in their lives. I’ve met with the students and they’re passion and talent blew me away. It’s an incredible, incredible place.”
Kimberly’s ethos in life is to lead with kindness. “There’s so much hatred and so much toxicity in the world, and it is quite frankly, frightening,” Bluhm said. “I make a conscious effort every day to be grateful for my life, but also to remind myself to be kind and to everyone no matter who they are. I just think you must lead by example.”
