80 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 2019
A Cultural Vision
Min Jung Kim is redefining American art
By Joan Hunt
Director Min Jung Kim arrived at the New Britain Museum of
American Art just as it had expanded its gallery and art education
space by 17,000 square feet. Along with her considerable energy,
she brought a contemporary vision of American art that is expansive
and inclusive.
"Change, evolution, and progress has always been part of the
DNA of this institution," she said. Originally part of the New Britain
Institute, along with the public library and the New Britain Industrial
Museum, its mission was to help immigrants working in factories
learn about the country.
In a little more than three years at its helm, Kim has exploded the
definition of American art and made it more relevant to modern
immigrants by celebrating the artistic gifts they continue to
contribute.
"The first exhibition I brought in was Vistas del Sur," she said. The
bilingual exhibit featured paintings, photographs, and other artworks
tracing the evolution of Latin American landscapes by artists from
Europe and the Americas.
"Along the way, we engaged in conversations with individuals and
communities that reflect the rich and complex cultural heritage of
America," said Kim. She also engaged with Hispanic communities
prior to the latest New/Now emerging artist exhibit, featuring Pablo
Helguera, who immigrated from Mexico at 16.
She is a master at making connections. When Chilean/Argentinian
immigrant Francisca Benitez, whose interest in deaf culture inspired
PROFILE
Korean-born Min Jung Kim said
she likes to "flip the gaze" by
sometimes looking at American
art through the world's
perspective. In three years at
the NBMAA, she has helped it to
change and grow, while bringing
along many of its dedicated
supporters and continuing to
expand its circle of friends,
family, and patrons. [Photos
|
Courtesy
of
the
New
Britain
Museum
of
American
Art
]
