Issue Date: March 11, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Maggie Pence, Media Associate, mpence@chsa.org, (415) 391-1188 x107
Chinese Historical Society of America Museum Welcomes Justin Hoover as New Executive Director
San Francisco, CA—The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum (CHSA) is pleased to announce Justin Hoover as its new Executive Director, effective February 23, 2021.
Hoover is a civic and cultural leader in the Bay Area and beyond, having deep roots in the Bay Area visual arts and Asian Pacific American community. “Justin brings to his position more than 15 years of exceptional experience in museum and cultural center administration as well as international curatorial practice that has helped him build connections throughout the USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, as well as with communities of civic activists, teachers, artists, performers, and exhibitors, both public and private,” said Doug Chan, Chairman of the Board.
Hoover comes to CHSA from working as the Founder and Director of Collective Action Studio, an international art consulting and public engagement arts organization, launching and directing arts festivals and exhibitions in the US, Europe, and Asia. Prior to that, he served as the Curator of the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles and was the Creative Director of the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. He has also held posts as the Curator of Exhibitions at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and as the Curator and Gallery Director of SOMArts Cultural Center.
As Executive Director of CHSA, Hoover will help the museum continue its vital role in the cultural ecosystem, directing the organization’s mission through exhibitions and public programs within the museum, in the digital sphere, and beyond the walls of the institution. “As a Chinese American in arts and culture in the Bay Area, I look forward to the honor of building on CHSA’s 58-year legacy of providing critical, uplifting, and engaging content for diverse audiences,” Hoover stated. “CHSA has long been on the forefront of issues related to immigration, social justice, and community development and we are going to continue this struggle for equality and justice through exhibitions, scholarly research, and community programming.”
With his experience in directing community arts organizations, Hoover plans to bring renewed energy and vitality to a cultural landmark, moving the museum’s efforts out of the pandemic’s enforced closure period safely with a new focus on organizational health, intercultural outreach, and participatory engagement. “The Board of Directors of CHSA is exceptionally delighted that Justin has taken on this leadership role,” said Chan. “His exceptional experience in creative exhibitions, diverse public programming, and community engagement make him well-situated to sustain CHSA’s evolution as a beacon of historical narrative and a leader in shaping contemporary conversations about community, equity, and inclusion.”
Hoover studied French Literature and Peace Studies in undergraduate prior to beginning his career as a curator and arts organization administrator. He further pursued advanced studies through a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, as well as a master’s degree in Public Administration of International Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Recruitment of the CHSA Executive Director Position was made possible in part by a grant from San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
