SAN JOSE, CA.- San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art welcomes Christine Koppes as their Curator and Director of Public Programs. Koppes comes to the ICA from Walnut Creek’s Bedford Gallery, where she was the Assistant Curator for more than 5 years. At the Bedford Gallery Koppes worked on exhibitions with local, national, and international artists using a variety of media, from painting and sculpture to neon and inflatable art. She has experience with a wide range of exhibitions, including site-specific large-scale installations, group shows with over 200 artworks, and nationally traveling exhibitions. Christine Koppes also organized many public programs, most recently Frida Fest which celebrated the iconic artist Frida Kahlo and was attended by over 3,000 guests. Koppes also worked on Walnut Creek’s public art projects, including an installation by Patrick Dougherty that was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She has also juried exhibitions for art venues throughout the Bay Area.

Christine Koppes has lived and worked in the Bay Area for nearly ten years. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. She enjoys working with local artists and supporting the Bay Area arts community but also finds it important to introduce artists outside the Bay to new audiences. She shares a passion for site-specific installations with the SJICA.

Koppes says of assuming the position, “I’m looking forward to joining the team at San Jose Institute of Contemporary art because we share a commitment to thought-provoking and immersive art installations. My goal is to present artwork that engages visitors from all walks of life and with any level of art knowledge or appreciation. For me, exhibitions are successful if they inspire us to see in a new way or to consider a viewpoint different from our own.”