The Riverside Art Museum has named Vivian Zavataro as its next executive director, the museum announced Friday. Zavataro will begin the role Oct. 1.
Zavataro comes to Riverside from the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, where she has served as executive and creative director, overseeing the museum's strategic, operational and creative direction. RAM said her appointment comes as the museum has expanded its exhibitions, education programs and national profile, including through its role as home to The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.
"The Riverside Art Museum has grown from a beloved community museum into a dynamic cultural institution with an international presence," Patricia Reynolds, president of RAM's Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "Through our historic Julia Morgan building and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture, we create opportunities for people to experience, learn from, and celebrate art that reflects the diverse stories and voices of our community."
Reynolds said Zavataro's combination of institutional leadership, curatorial experience and community engagement work makes her well suited to guide RAM's next chapter.
At the Ulrich Museum, Zavataro oversees a permanent collection of more than 7,000 objects along with a program of modern and contemporary exhibitions. She previously served as executive director and chief curator of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Her curatorial work includes "Everything Must Go: Justin Favela's Closeout Blowout Re-Grand Opening" at the Ulrich Museum of Art, "Guillermo Bert: The Journey" at the Nevada Museum of Art, and "En Medio | Senses of Migration" at the Lilley Museum of Art. She has worked with artists including Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Justin Favela, Guillermo Bert, Kiara Aileen Machado and Edi Rama.
Zavataro holds a Master of Arts in Heritage and Museum Studies from the University of Amsterdam and a Master of Advanced Studies in Curating from Zurich University of the Arts. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Reading, where her dissertation focuses on museum audience engagement.
"I am honored to join the Riverside Art Museum at such a pivotal moment," Zavataro said in a statement. "These are places where art, community, and culture meet in ways that feel urgent and alive. I look forward to working alongside the team, board, artists, guest curators, and the broader Riverside and Inland Empire communities to expand this organization's impact and make sure its programs reflect and celebrate the people it serves."
RAM said The Cheech will continue its existing model of working with guest curators on exhibitions exploring Chicano art and culture under Zavataro's leadership.
"Riverside Art Museum has come a long way, and The Cheech has become a big part of that story," Cheech Marin said in a statement. "But the best part is that we're still building. Vivian understands artists, she understands museums, and she understands the importance of bringing people together."
