Creative Capital has selected Christine W. Kuan as President and Executive Director, following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). Beginning her tenure on March 22, 2021, she will be the organization’s third leader since its founding in 1999.
Ms. Kuan brings more than 20 years of arts leadership experience in the educational, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. Most recently serving as the CEO and Director of Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York, she oversaw the Institute’s academic, financial, operational, and business strategies and led its world-renowned master’s degree programs in art business, contemporary art, and design for today’s international art market. She also spearheaded diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and innovated new programming to expand community thought leadership in art and art business.
Prior to her role at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Ms. Kuan served as Chief Curatorial Officer & Director of Strategic Partnerships at Artsy in New York, where she oversaw the organization’s museum and institutional partnerships, digital collection strategy, open access policy, educational initiatives, and auctions. She has also held various roles at ARTstor, a nonprofit image library founded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Oxford University Press, where she significantly expanded access to scholarly information on women artists and artists of color.
An expert in art education, museums, and digital strategy across cultural institutions and the art market, Ms. Kuan has taught at Peking University, Rutgers University, the University of Iowa, and Stanford University’s pilot program of Arts Leadership. She also serves on the History of Collecting Advisory Committee at the Frick Collection in New York and the Steering Committee of The Brooklyn Rail. Ms. Kuan holds a bachelor of arts degree in art history and English from Rutgers University and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
In making the announcement, Creative Capital Board Co-Chair Annie Han said, “We're always looking for ways to grow and improve our support for artists and artistic communities across the United States. Christine's experience as an innovator and risk-taker, her wide network, and breadth of perspective will be great assets to the artists we serve.” Creative Capital Board Co-Chair Bill Foulkes said, “As an artist, educator, and entrepreneur, Christine’s passion for making an impact through the arts makes her an ideal leader for Creative Capital at this moment.”
"I am honored to join Creative Capital in its mission to support individual artists creating groundbreaking work confronting the most important issues of our time,” said Ms. Kuan. “One of the things that attracts me to Creative Capital is its fierce commitment to risk-taking artists of diverse backgrounds, who make such powerful contributions to our culture. The pandemic and its fallout have been incredibly challenging for artists of all disciplines and the work Creative Capital does is more important than ever. I look forward to working with the amazing Creative Capital team to help champion and sustain artists and their practices now and for years to come."
“Congratulations to the Creative Capital board and staff on the appointment of Christine Kuan as President and Executive Director,” said ACG President Bruce D. Thibodeau. “ACG was honored to collaborate with a dedicated search committee to place Ms. Kuan in this important role. Her ability to strengthen ties among diverse communities through the creative process will help Creative Capital continue to expand its support for genre-bending and risk-taking artists where programmatic innovation is at the forefront of social impact.”
March 2021