NEW YORK, NY.- Aperture Foundation announced the appointment of David C. Yu to the post of Development Director, effective May 14.
Yu comes to Aperture with more than sixteen years of experience as a fundraising professional. He played a pivotal role in reshaping the corporate sponsorship program at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, negotiating significant financial and in-kind contributions totaling over $1 million in new organizational support. Yu managed the conception, creative development, and implementation of ground-breaking special events for amfAR, including projects in New York, Paris, and Dubai, as well as the celebrated TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art, the organization’s largest domestic fundraising gala and auction of important contemporary art and luxury goods, benefiting amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art.
Prior to amfAR, Yu successfully managed significant growth of inMotion, Inc.’s special events, including its popular Annual Photography Auction and Benefit. Working with prominent members of the photography community, Yu effectively solicited donations from important galleries and collectors to increase fundraising revenue by nearly 70% over three years, generating millions of dollars in support of inMotion’s mission to provide free legal services for low-income women and children in New York City.
Yu’s interest in human rights advocacy and development grew through his concentrated work with membership programs at Amnesty International USA. He revitalized and grew its annual national conference, strengthening programming and assembling internationally renowned human rights leaders and celebrities, to introduce the organization to new constituencies. He conceived and developed collaborations with artists and civic and cultural institutions.
He has an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University and a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University.
Aperture Executive Director Chris Boot says: “This is a key role in the organization, at a time of rapid development and change, and I am thrilled that David will be joining us. He will help build good relationships for Aperture in many directions, and will bring a lot of energy to the planning of our sixtieth anniversary gala and auction this October–an important moment for us. He has the ambition, skills, personality, and contacts to really make something of the opportunities at Aperture.”
Aperture also announced the appointment of Barbara Escobar to the post of Publicity and Events Manager. Prior to working in marketing at Phillips de Pury & Company in New York, Escobar was the Gallery Manager at Transformer in Washington, D.C., where she led public relations for the contemporary art non-profit’s exhibitions and programs. She holds an MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in art history and philosophy from Catholic University.
