Art Connects | Panel Conversation

Panel Conversation: How can museums be spaces for healing?

Tuesday, April 21 | 1:30 PM

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SPEAKERS: Regan Pro, Kayla Skinner Deputy Director of Education & Public Engagement, Seattle Art Museum; Abby Chen, Head of Contemporary Art, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; and Melissa Lee, Director of Education and Public Programs, Vancouver Art Gallery

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From the perspectives of their respective institutions on the Pacific Coast, panelists Regan Pro, Abby Chen and Melissa Lee will discuss how museums can be places for healing during this time of crisis. Their conversation will also address how to resolve and institute practices of care when institutions re-open to the public.

Reflecting on art education and public programs, Regan and Melissa will consider the impact of the pandemic upon their communities and how institutions must pivot their programming to relevantly reflect the current moment. From a curatorial perspective, Abby will share how the COVID-19 crisis compels immediate change in the comprehensive planning of art exhibitions.

Questions? Submit them when you register or during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function.

This discussion will be moderated by  Stephanie Bokenfohr, Adult Programs Coordinator.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Abby Chen is the Head of Contemporary Art and Senior Associate Curator at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Leading the newly-established Contemporary Art Department, Chen will open the 2020 museum expansion with an exhibition by Zheng Chongbin, a public commission by Jenifer K Wofford, and the inaugural rotation of the contemporary art permanent collection gallery, featuring Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang, amongst other projects. Chen previously served as Artistic Director and Deputy Director for the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCCSF), where her decade-long tenure transformed the community organization into a leading global platform for contemporary art exhibitions and public projects. She holds an MA in Visual and Critical Studies from the California College of Arts.

Regan Pro is the Kayla Skinner Deputy Director of Education & Public Engagement at the Seattle Art Museum, where she develops arts learning opportunities centered on equity, relevancy and curiosity. Pro also teaches art interpretation as part of the University of Washington’s Graduate Museum Program. Prior to joining SAM in 2009, Pro worked at the Frye Art Museum and the Addison Gallery of American Art. She has also held positions at several arts education organizations, including Path with Art, Project Zero and the National Arts Learning Collaborative. Born in New York and raised in Seattle, Pro graduated with her bachelors in Art History from Wesleyan University and her masters in Arts Education from Harvard University.

Melissa Lee is the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Vancouver Art Gallery, where she oversees public programs designed for diverse audiences of all ages to enhance the understanding of the Gallery’s over 12,000-piece art collection and of travelling contemporary and modern exhibitions. Previously to this position, she was on the founding team to open Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Art, Hong Kong—a UNESCO heritage site—serving as the Education and Public Programs Curator. Lee has collaborated with a number of artists on pedagogical and relational practices, including Martha Rosler, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries, Pak Sheung Cheun and Patty Chang.