CLARE KUNNY.
President & Founder.
Los Angeles.

Clare is an art historian and museum professional with extensive experience developing educational art programs for museum visitors of all ages. She conceived of and launched Art Muse Los Angeles in 2013, after serving 10 years as head of Public Education and Teaching at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Clare held the same position during the latter part of her 17 years in the Department of Education at The Art Institute of Chicago. Clare’s long career guiding visitors in viewing, thinking about, and discussing the art found in great museums has prepared her for the mission she’s undertaken with Art Muse LA. She holds an MA in Art History from the University of Chicago and has completed doctoral coursework in colonial Mexican art at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Clare is the founder of Art Muse LA.

ROSS KARLAN.
Director.
Miami.

Ross Karlan is a scholar, curator, educator, and writer specializing in the art, culture, and literature of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds from the Middle Ages through today. Ross completed his BA at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and his PhD at Georgetown University in 2020, and before moving to Los Angeles, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. In addition to English, Ross is fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish, and offers tours in all 3 languages. Ross joined Art Muse LA in 2020 and now lives in Miami where he runs our Miami team in addition to serving as director of Art Muse across the country. He is also the Curator in Residence at the Laundromat Art Space, and curates a number of independent projects around the city.

ROBIN TRENTO.
Associate Director.
Los Angeles.

A Los Angeles native and 4th-generation Californian, Robin earned her BA in Italian and Art History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, after having studied at the University of Padua, Italy, and UCLA. Working for the past 27 years, first in the Education Department at the J. Paul Getty Museum and currently as a research associate for the Department of Drawings, has allowed Robin to develop an unparalleled expertise in the Getty collection. At the same time, her extensive experience of many other museums gives her the ability to place any collection or exhibition she addresses in the broader perspective of art history. Robin offers tours in English and Italian. Robin is a founding member of Art Muse LA.

NOELLE VALENTINO.
Assistant Director.
Los Angeles.

Noelle Valentino’s career in the art world has spanned institutions including the Smithsonian, Christie’s auction house, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Hammer Museum. Previously, in addition to her role at Art Muse, she was the Department Manager for Trusts and Estates at John Moran Auctioneers. Noelle advises clients on the disposition of personal property, as well as provides valuation and appraisal services. Noelle holds an MA in Art History, where her coursework and thesis explored design and style in the decorative arts. When she is not engaging with art, Noelle enjoys taking part in outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and sailing. Noelle is a founding member of Art Muse LA.

NANCY GANIARD SMITH.
Travel Associate.
Los Angeles.

Nancy spent nearly 2 decades escorting art enthusiasts on custom-designed trips throughout the world when she served as associate director of member programs at The Art Institute of Chicago. This is where she and Clare Kunny, Art Muse LA’s president and founder, first met and were colleagues. After relocating to Los Angeles, Nancy turned her attention to writing about art and architecture, authoring many feature articles both as a newspaper staff writer and freelancer. She is a public touring docent at the Getty Center and LACMA where she recently served as Docent Council Chair. Nancy has a degree in Art History from the University of Michigan. Nancy joined Art Muse LA in 2014.

CHLOE LANDIS.
Social Media Coordinator.
Los Angeles.

Chloe Landis is an art historian, content creator, museum educator, and museum professional based in Los Angeles. She holds a BA in Art History and Egyptology, and an MA in Egyptology, with an emphasis in art and architecture, from UCLA. She studied at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, and her work is co-published with Kara Cooney in Ancient Egyptian Society published by Routledge. Chloe has worked in museum education at institutions such as the Getty Center, Hammer Museum, and Laguna Art Museum, where she developed her interest and sub-focus on contemporary art. She is currently the Education Manager at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Outside of her work at Art Muse and the Long Beach Museum of Art, Chloe can be found with her head buried in a book, usually doing research and documenting her excursions around LA and museums on her Instagram. Chloe joined Art Muse LA in 2021.

JENNIFER LI.
Editor.
Los Angeles.

Jennifer received her BA in the History of Art from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MA in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her professional experience in museums includes previous positions at The Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She also oversaw the daily operations and exhibition programs at the Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles. Currently, she is the LA Desk Editor for ArtAsiaPacific, the leading English-language periodical covering contemporary art and culture from Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East and a regular contributor to Art in America, Frieze, and other publications. Jennifer is a founding member of Art Muse LA.

VERONICA ALVAREZ. Los Angeles.

Veronica Alvarez is an educator, historian, and arts advocate. She believes access to quality arts instruction is a social justice issue. Veronica has worked with elementary, high school, and college students, teaching subjects such as Spanish and ancient Greek and Roman history. Currently, she is the Wallis Annenberg Director of Community Arts Partnership with a special appointment in the Critical Studies Department at California Institute of the Arts. Prior to CalArts, she was in the museum field for over 20 years, most recently as the Director of School and Teacher Programs at LACMA. Veronica holds a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in Ancient Mediterranean History from California State University, Northridge. With a passion for learning and museum education, she completed her doctorate at Loyola Marymount University’s Educational Leadership for Social Justice Program. She offers tours in English and Spanish. Veronica joined Art Muse LA in 2016.

SOPHIA BALLESTEROS. Miami.

Sophia Ballesteros is an arts professional living and working in Miami, FL. Beginning her professional career in 2018, Ballesteros was introduced to the art world through the non-profit art space 621 Gallery in Tallahassee, FL. Since then, connecting with people and bridging the gap between the artist and the public has been a drive that she leads with in all of her professional endeavors. Upon moving to Miami in 2022, Ballesteros began working under the wing of the late Bill Brady, and was the Director of Bill Brady Gallery (Miami and Los Angeles) from January 2023 until the gallery’s closing in December of 2023. Today, Sophia serves as Sales Director at Pan American Art Projects in Miami, FL while also dedicating time to grant writing, studio management, and curatorial projects with a deep love of supporting local and international artists at all stages of their career.

SARAH K. CHENAULT. Los Angeles.

Sarah K. Chenault holds a BFA in Sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis and an MA in Latin American Studies from UCLA. Over the last 10 years, Sarah has held positions at the Fowler Museum, Hammer Museum, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, and the Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Texas. After her curatorial work on PST:LA/LA, she founded the group PoST, which brings together her colleagues in the field of Latin American art. As an artist, Sarah creates jewelry made from natural materials that she embellishes with gold—hence the “Au,” the chemical symbol for gold, in the title of her line Aull Things. Sarah offers tours in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Sarah joined Art Muse LA in 2019.

TAMARA RENÉE DAVIDSON. Los Angeles.

Tamara Renée Davidson (b. 1989) is a Harlem-born interdisciplinary musician and educator whose work crosses the disciplines of music, printmaking, writing, film, fashion, movement studies, and Africana studies. Tamara graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. At Gallatin, she created an interdisciplinary major that combined Arts Education, Creative Writing, Africana Studies with a focus on The Caribbean and Latin America, and Jazz Vocal performance. In addition to her work as an artist, Tamara has become a seasoned educator, curriculum developer, and community liaison working with institutions such as The Whitney Museum and The Bronx Children’s Museum. Tamara is currently a Teaching Artist/ Museum educator for the LA Philharmonic, P.S. Arts, and The Huntington Library and Art Museum. Tamara is also an MFA candidate in Music Composition and Performance at The California Institute of the Arts set to graduate in May 2023. Tamara joined Art Muse LA in 2023.

ERIKA ESAU. San Francisco Bay Area.

Native Californian Erika Esau received a BA in German from Colorado Women’s College, Denver; her MA in Librarianship from the University of Denver; and a PhD in the History of Art from Bryn Mawr College. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and has taught art history at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, and at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. She also served as Librarian at The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies at LACMA. Her publications include Images of the Pacific Rim: Australia and California 1850-1935; German Expressionism at Lawrence University: The La Vera Pohl Collection; Visions of the Neue Frau: Women and the Visual Arts in Weimar Germany; and The Oxford Critical and Cultural History of Modernist Magazines. She offers tours in English and German. Erika joined Art Muse LA in 2019.

ALEJANDRO FIGUEREDO DIAZ-PERERA. Los Angeles.

Alejandro is an artist from Cuba currently based in Los Angeles. He specializes in conceptual art in a variety of media, including video, sculpture, and installation. He holds a BA from the San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts and the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana, Cuba. His work is represented by Aspect Ratio Gallery in Chicago and has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times and frieze magazine. He has given workshops and talks at The Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago Cultural Center; University of Illinois, Springfield; Bucknell University; Wake Forest University; Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts; and Human Resources LA. He offers tours in English and Spanish. Alejandro joined Art Muse LA in 2018.

JAMES FISHBURNE. Los Angeles.

James Fishburne is the Director of Forest Lawn Museum. In 2014 he earned his PhD in Italian Renaissance art history from UCLA. He has taught courses on ancient Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque art history at UCLA; California State University, Long Beach; Pierce College; and Valley College. From 2015 to 2018, James worked at the Getty Research Institute where he developed and implemented programming for the Scholars Department. James joined Forest Lawn in 2018 and has curated multiple exhibitions, including The Elevated Eye: Aerial Photography Past and Present and Judson Studios: Stained Glass from Gothic to Street Style. James joined Art Muse LA in 2015.

AYDA GRAGOSSIAN. Los Angeles.

Ayda is an Iranian-American painter and photographer. She received her BA from California State University, Northridge, and her MFA from the University of Oxford. Her work explores the notions of displacement and impermanence in relation to the urban landscape. Aside from her art practice, which has been exhibited internationally, Ayda is an art educator at LACMA and the Hammer Museum, mentoring art teachers and young students across underserved communities in Los Angeles. She offers tours in English, Farsi, and Armenian. Ayda joined Art Muse LA in 2022.

CATHERINE HESS. Los Angeles.

Catherine has been a museum curator, director, and nonprofit leader for nearly 40 years. She was a curator in the sculpture department at the Getty Museum specializing in Italian furniture, ceramics, and glass; and then served as chief curator of European art and interim director of the art museum at the Huntington. In these capacities, she curated wide-ranging historical exhibitions including The Art of Fire: Islamic Origins of the Italian Renaissance, Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture, and Face to Face: Flanders, Florence, and Renaissance Italy. Most recently, she directed a small nonprofit organization bringing arts education to underserved young adults. Hess believes with careful looking, curiosity, and a little guidance, all art—of the present day and past—can be a source of inspiration, delight, and knowledge.

DEANA HIGHT. Los Angeles.

Deana received her BA from UCLA and earned her MA in Classical Art History from California State University, Northridge. Her research area is Ancient Roman Funerary Rituals and their tradition. She is currently working as a Professor of Art History at Mt. San Antonio College, an Associate Professor at Los Angeles Valley College, and a Museum Educator at the Norton Simon Museum. She helped pass a 2011 initiative at the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges supporting art history as a recognized discipline in the curriculum. Deana joined Art Muse LA in 2014.

STELLA PAUL. New York City.

Stella brought audiences and art together at The Metropolitan Museum of Art over 24 years, fostering engagement, knowledge, and interpretation for all visitors from scholars to students. She served as Museum Educator-in-Charge of Exhibitions and Communication, designing programs, lecturing, teaching, and writing. Prior to her work at The Met, Stella ran the Southern California efforts for the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. She was educated at Harvard University and the University of Southern California. As a museum educator, Stella focused on the connections revealed through broad interdisciplinary study, a scope she continues to explore in writing. Her book, Chromaphilia: The Story of Color in Art, is published by Phaidon Press. Stella joined Art Muse LA in 2016.

KATHRYN PERRY. Los Angeles.

Kathryn holds a BA in Art History from Colorado College and specializes in 17th-century Baroque art, with much of her study focused on Italian Baroque sculpture. She has experience in the education field and taught a general survey of Western Art History in Zermatt, Switzerland, between 2016 and 2019. Kathryn also holds an MA in Middle East Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. After getting her MA, she spent a summer in Amman, Jordan, studying Arabic. In her free time, Kathryn enjoys hiking, exploring museums, and studying Arabic. She loves to travel and is always looking for her next big adventure! Kathryn joined Art Muse LA in 2022.

SUSAN POWER. Paris.

Susan is an independent scholar, curator, and educator specializing in modern and contemporary art. She holds advanced degrees in Museum Studies from the École du Louvre and Art History from the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Her research interests include contemporary art interventions in museums and artist-curated exhibitions. She is the recipient of the Terra Foundation for American Art fellowship residency in Giverny, France, and the Sara Roby Predoctoral Fellowship in 20th-Century Realism at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. She has most recently worked in the department of American Art at LACMA and formerly as an educator at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. She offers tours in English and French. Susan joined Art Muse LA in 2017.

NICOLE POZOS. Miami.

Nicole Pozos, a Miami native with a background in Art History, studied at Florida International University, majoring in Art History and International Relations. Currently Nicole serves as the Exhibitions Director at Faena Art a non-profit art space in Miami Beach. Having worked in the arts for 15 + years, her journey spans from non-profit, private institutions, commercial galleries to art fairs. Recently Nicole ran an art space in Miami to curate exhibitions focusing on local, Latin American, or African Artist. In 2023, in partnership with Soho House Miami Beach, she founded a Latinx club, curating events that celebrate the arts and culture of Miami’s diverse Latin and Caribbean communities, including artist work shops and studio visits.

NANCY REAL. Los Angeles.

As a museum educator, she has taught at the Hammer Museum (affiliated with UCLA) for a year and then at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She currently creates in-gallery lessons for the LACMA’s program “Evening for Educators.” As a gastronomy specialist, Nancy also offers culinary courses at the Getty Center, Getty Villa, and the Italian Cultural Institute linked to different periods in the history of art. She is fluent in English, Italian, French, and Spanish and offers tours in all 4 languages. Nancy is a founding member of Art Muse LA.

BETTY SEID. Chicago.

Betty is an independent curator, writer, and lecturer living in Chicago and Santa Monica. She was a Research Associate and Exhibition Coordinator for South Asian Art in the Department of Asian Art at The Art Institute of Chicago, and the consulting curator for an exhibition of modern and contemporary art from India at the San Jose Museum of Art. She has traveled extensively in India and Southeast Asia for research and often as the Study Leader for The Art Institute of Chicago tours. She continues to lecture about the art of India and has participated in symposia in both the US and India. Betty is a founding member of Art Muse LA.

CHRISTOPHER M. SUZUKI. Los Angeles.

Christopher M. Suzuki is a historian and professional tour guide. Christopher holds an MA in Comparative Religion from California Institute of Integral Studies and he studied art history abroad as part of his undergraduate program. He served as a popular tour leader at the Getty Villa for several years and as an educator at the former Marciano Arts Foundation. Christopher currently leads history and cuisine tours of Downtown Los Angeles and West Hollywood. He is a mixed-media artist and Christopher’s theories on street art have been published. Christopher was born and raised in Los Angeles. Christopher joined Art Muse LA in 2019.

CAROLINA VALENCIA. Los Angeles.

Carolina specializes in the translation of museum exhibits, educational materials, and catalogs from English into Spanish. She has worked for The Art Institute of Chicago, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and LACMA, among others. She has a BA in Philosophy and Literature from la Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. At The Art Institute of Chicago, she underwent 3 years of extensive training in the arts and culture of the ancient Americas. In Austin, Texas, she worked as a docent for the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art. She has been a bilingual site and garden docent at the Getty Center since 2009, offering tours in English and Spanish. Carolina joined Art Muse LA in 2015.

KARA WALKER TOMÉ. South Florida.

Kara Walker Tomé is an arts educator and independent curator with experience on the West and East coasts. Her MFA is from CalArts in her home state of California. Post grad school she worked at several model non-profit arts organizations in Los Angeles and created a podcast to interview artists involved in collectives (producing 60 episodes). Since moving to South Florida, Kara has been Education Director for Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art, Director of Programs at the Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, and a staff writer for The Art Economist Magazine. Regionally known for curating large-scale, multi-media exhibitions at alternative spaces, in 2020 she founded C3: Contemporary Curators Collective to collaborate with independent curators and connect artists and audiences from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Kara is also an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College teaching modern to contemporary art history.

LISA WELLS. Los Angeles.

Lisa Wells’ professional experience in the art world includes independent curator, contemporary gallery Director, and art appraiser/advisor. Her passion and extensive art market background, coupled with an established network in the local and international art community of galleries, artists and auction house specialists informs Lisa’s approach in designing gallery tours with Art Muse LA. She holds a BA in Art History from the University of TN, Knoxville, and is an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America and the International Society of Appraisers.

KATHERINE E. ZORASTER. Los Angeles.

Katherine E. Zoraster is an art historian specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from UCLA; she received an MA with Distinction in Art History from the California State University, Northridge. Katherine teaches art history at campuses across greater Los Angeles, including UCLA Extension; California State University, Channel Islands; and Cal Lutheran. She serves as an adjunct professor of art history at Moorpark College, and an art history instructor at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine has presented papers at the annual conference of College Arts Association and The Representational Art Conference on various topics. She is a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission. Katherine joined Art Muse LA in 2019.