Steven Y. Wong Appointed Director of The Vincent Price Art Museum
Posted: Feb/19/2021 10:57 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2021
| ELAC/VPAM Contact: Kevin Jimenez, Public Information Officer (323) 265-8807 | jimeneka@elac.edu |
VPAM Foundation Contact: Francisco T. Sanchez, Jr., Communications Consultant info@vincentpriceartmuseum.org |
Wong’s appointment follows a national search led by the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) with representatives from campus leadership, faculty, staff, and the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation. He succeeds Pilar Tompkins Rivas who departed for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in July 2020.
Wong is a curator, educator, and arts administrator born and raised in Los Angeles. He most recently served as Curator at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) at Barnsdall Park, one of the oldest and longest-running contemporary art galleries in Los Angeles. His exhibitions include To View a Plastic Flower (2020), OFFAL (2019), and HERE (2018), each of which featured a dynamic roster of Los Angeles artists.
Prior to LAMAG, Wong served as Interim Executive Director and senior staff curator at the Chinese American Museum (CAM), where he developed and implemented both contemporary art and history exhibitions, including Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration Reform (2010-2011). He also curated major exhibitions for the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiatives, including Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (2012) and Circles and Circuits I & II (2017), which was on view at both CAM and the California African American Museum and explored the art and history of the Chinese Caribbean diaspora since the early 20th century.
Wong has also served as adjunct faculty at UC Santa Barbara, Ventura College, and Pasadena City College. He began his career as a practicing artist and has exhibited his work nationally. He holds an M.F.A. in Art from UC Santa Barbara, M.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA, and B.A. in Art from UCLA. Prior to transferring to UCLA, he attended the Santa Monica College of Design, Art and Architecture.
“I am both honored and humbled to join the ELAC community and become the next Vincent Price Art Museum Director,” said Wong. “As an arts leader and community college graduate, I am excited to return to the type of college campus that helped launch my own career in the visual arts. I am especially looking forward to working alongside the talented museum staff and faculty to build upon the museum's legacy of showcasing exceptional and diverse artists, while also creating new opportunities to empower our students and local communities.”
Wong’s appointment comes at a time of increased visibility for VPAM, as the museum has emerged as a national leader in the field of Latinx art, generating new scholarship and opportunities through its exhibitions, publications, diversity pipeline programs, and institutional and community partnerships.
In 2019, the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation honored Wong with the distinguished Cultural Leadership Award for his longstanding commitment to presenting and ensuring access to the arts, especially within communities of color.
"Steven is an important member of the Los Angeles arts community with an intimate knowledge of the artists and diverse populations we serve at the museum," said Barbara Hensleigh, Chair of the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation. "We are so excited about the museum's next chapter under his leadership."
Linda Kallan, Professor and Art Department Chair at East Los Angeles College said,
“I am pleased to welcome Steven Wong to our campus. His curatorial thinking and experience will no doubt reveal new relationships within the museum’s collection and exhibition program, as well as strengthen existing relationships with the campus, art world, and neighboring communities.”
Dr. Surana K. Singh, Professor of Art History at East Los Angeles College said, “We are thrilled to have Steven take on the role of VPAM Director. I, along with colleagues in art history, studio arts, and museum studies, look forward to working with him as we continue to utilize the museum as a wonderful educational resource for our students and the greater campus community.”
About VPAM
The mission of the Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College is to serve as a unique educational resource for the diverse audiences of the college and the community through the exhibition, interpretation, collection, and preservation of works in all media of the visual arts. VPAM provides an environment to encounter a range of aesthetic expressions that illuminate the depth and diversity of artwork produced by people of the world, both contemporary and past. By presenting thoughtful, innovative, and culturally diverse exhibitions and by organizing cross-disciplinary programs on issues of historical, social, and cultural relevance, VPAM seeks to promote knowledge, inspire creative thinking, and deepen an understanding of and appreciation for the visual arts.
The museum is temporarily closed to the public due to COVID-19. Learn more at http://vincentpriceartmuseum.org.
About ELAC
Since 1945, East Los Angeles College has been transforming the lives of students in the East and Southeast Los Angeles area through world-class education and career opportunities. ELAC has an international, multicultural student body that complements the diverse communities surrounding the college. With an enrollment of more than 60,000 students each year, ELAC offers 61 state-approved career technical education certificates and 55 associate degrees, 18 of which are transfer degrees. East Los Angeles College is home to the Vincent Price Art Museum making it one of the only community colleges in the nation to host a major art collection on campus. Learn more at https://www.elac.edu/
