Michelle, you have held leadership roles at the Asia Society, the Museum of Modern Art and now the Katonah Museum of Art and have been recognized as an expert in the field of Asian Art. Can you share how some of your earlier experiences growing up in Michigan and Toronto and spending a significant amount of time living abroad have influenced your own career?
I knew that I wanted to have a career in the art field from a very young age. I have been fortunate to have spent time living in different countries and among different cultures which has given me an expansive outlook towards the fine arts and how they serve society. Throughout my life I’ve lived in Michigan, Toronto, Taipei, Paris, and Shanghai, before settling in New York City for over 20 years. Six years ago my family moved to Weston, CT. where we currently reside. My parents both emigrated from mainland China, my father via Taipei and my mother via Hong Kong, and met in college at the University of Michigan. There is not a large Asian American community where we lived in Michigan so early on I learned to be open to, and have empathy for, other points of view. I did not grow up in a family that collected art but my parents immersed me in creative arts classes (dance, piano, creative writing and the visual arts) and we frequented museums, and dance and music performances. I spent two years, between 8th and 9th grade living in a suburb of Toronto. The dynamic plurality and rich cultural life of the city was a great eye opener at this formative time. I then spent the rest of my high school years as a boarding student at Cranbrook, a wonderful educational community steeped in the fine arts, which cemented my passion to pursue a career in the art field. Living among the cosmopolitan centers of Paris, Taipei, Shanghai, and New York provided access to the best and broadest scope of art and culture that continues to inform my work in the present.
You have been recognized as an expert in the field of Asian art and have always brought a global perspective to your professional roles including your current one as Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art. Can you talk about the decision to leave New York City and then the decision to take on the opportunity to lead the KMA? What were some of your goals when you took the role and how are things going so far?
I spent over 25 years working in the NYC art world and was looking for a new challenge. We had moved to Connecticut prior to the pandemic and as my son got older it became important for me to create a healthier work/life balance to be able to spend more time with my family. The pandemic underscored the fact that one does not need to be in an urban center to engage with meaningful art and artists. I was also inspired by the influx of new families who moved to Westchester and Fairfield county during the pandemic who were hungry for art and cultural experiences.
I have been at the KMA for just over a year now and am excited for the opportunity to bring the KMA to new heights of recognition both in relation to its programmatic scope and stature among its institutional peers. It is a real gem and has the potential to become an internationally recognized institution that will bring pride of place to Bedford and Katonah. In saying this, I want to preserve the museum’s central role in the community as a welcoming place to socialize and learn about art and artists. I’m also looking forward to integrating more inter-disciplinary art forms like music, dance, and literature into our purview. Our
Summer Social with Jonah Bokaer, held in the sculpture garden this past August, is a great example of this new direction. The event also allowed us to partner with the Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation and local businesses
LMNOP,
Folkways Wines, and
Captain Lawrence Brewery, collaborations I would like to see continue.
You have been such a champion and supporter of women and women led causes in our area, including Fern Hill. We have spoken about the role other women have played in offering you professional support, especially as a leader in the arts. Can you talk specifically about some of the mentors you’ve had in your career or other experiences that have supported you professionally?
I have been so inspired by the work you are doing with the Fern Hill Project to champion women leaders and to provide a meaningful network of support. It is so important, especially for women in leadership positions, which can be isolating. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have wonderful mentors. I had a trio of important professors at Cranbrook: Maria Caswell, Christine Goodale, and Jessica Sinclair, who first opened my eyes to the viability of having a career in the art field. As a young professional, I had the good fortune of working under Carolyn Lanchner, Anne Temkin, and Anne Umland, formidable curators at MoMA, who have set industry-wide standards for excellence in scholarship, innovative thinking, and best practices. Melissa Chiu and Peggy Loar were great champions during my tenure at Asia Society Museum and whose counsel was a great support during my transition from curator to director. Heather Nolin, who like you is a great convener of talented women through her Creative Leaders Guild Institute, has become a trusted confidant and advisor whose insights have been invaluable during my time as a museum director.
We are living in a world that feels more divided today than ever before. You have said that art has the power to bring people together to forge greater empathy and understanding - can you share some specific examples throughout your own career where you have witnessed this?
Art is an effective form of soft power that has the ability to meaningfully connect disparate peoples and cultures. One recent project that embodied this idea was the Asia Society Triennial that was realized during the pandemic. This exhibition featured forty artists from across twenty countries and primarily of Asian descent. It was meant to serve as a counterpoint to the xenophobia and discrimination against Asian Americans around the pandemic and to underscore the importance of artistic expression as a platform to illuminate our shared humanity.
You have been in your role as Director of the Katonah Museum of Art for almost a year and a half, what has surprised you the most in your role and your relocation to the area? What have been some of the greatest challenges for you personally and professionally?
I have been impressed with the strong sense of community in the area. It was a bit of a culture shock to shift from working in New York City to working in a small town. At Asia Society I functioned on a global platform across the institution’s 14 global centers. I am still working through how to maintain a balance between immersing myself into the local community and keeping a foot in the international art world.
The Katonah Museum of Art is unique in the sense that it doesn’t have a permanent collection and that the exhibits rotate. How and where do you find inspiration for what to bring to the museum and what are some of the things you are most excited about in the Museum’s future?
I love that the KMA was founded by a group of intrepid women who wanted to bring the best of the artworld to their community. I want to maintain the passion and pioneering spirit through our work going forward. Not having to manage a permanent collection is liberating and affords the KMA opportunities to work broadly across geographies and thematics. The Museum has been successful at supporting artists like Bisa Butler and Nick Cave early on in their careers, which has allowed them to flourish on the global stage. I would like to continue serving as a nurturing platform for emerging and underrepresented artists.
We have had many conversations about how the Museum plays a role in not just introducing visitors to art and educational experiences but to becoming a hub in our community for forging and building connections, can you expand on that a little?
This goes back to the ethos of the Museum- that it was meant to bring people together through meaningful engagement with the visual arts. As mentioned previously, many new families have come to the area in recent years and my hope is that the KMA will serve as a fun and welcoming space for them to connect with other like-minded people. We are planning many different kinds of special events and public programs that can achieve this. I hope to build sustainable partnerships with both fellow organizations and businesses to create programmatic opportunities to support each other.
What advice would you give to other women leading cultural institutions or large nonprofits? Is there anything you wish you had known when you were starting your own career?
I would recommend that you trust your instincts, find your voice, and own your successes. So often women in leadership positions downplay their achievements in relation to their male counterparts. It is also essential to develop a cohort of trusted colleagues.
Finally, I have to ask, what was it like to have Patti Smith officiate your wedding??
It was pure love. Patti is an inspiration and it was so meaningful to have her participate in such a meaningful way.
Lightning Round:
Favorite thing about living in our area:
The deep sense of community.
If you could curate and host an event with any 3 artists living or dead who would they be?
Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, and Tomie Ohtake.
Favorite place outside the KMA to experience art?
The Benesse Art site in Naoshima, and its sister islands Teshima, and Inujima.
One thing you’d like to see more of in our area?
There are so many wonderful institutions in our area- I would love to see more programmatic collaborations between our organizations.
What would you do with one extra hour each day?
I would be in my studio either painting, sculpting, or making jewelry.
