BELLEVUE, WA.- Jennifer Navva Milliken will join the curatorial team at Bellevue Arts Museum as Curator of Craft on June 16. Specialized in contemporary art, studio craft, and design, Milliken is a perfect fit for the position and will play an essential role in furthering BAM's unique mission focused on art, craft, and design. "I am very excited to announce Jennifer Navva Milliken's appointment," said Stefano Catalani, Director of Art, Craft, & Design. "We received over 60 applications from a pool of remarkable and qualified applicants, but Jennifer really stood out. She brings a broad, sharp, and international perspective to the field of craft and I look forward working with her."

Milliken, a Woodinville native, completed her BA in Art History at Western Washington University before earning her MA at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, where her research focused on the role of functionality in art and design from the 1990s to the present. With roots in Istanbul, Jerusalem, New York, Seoul, and Tel Aviv, she has had first-hand contact with makers creating within an entirely different culture, history, and tradition and has been part of the creative teams of international cultural institutions, including the Museum of Arts & Design, New York and The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. In 2012, she founded INTER ALIA projects, an independent curatorial practice, which established a platform for increasing awareness of contemporary and conceptual craft practices. In addition to her numerous curatorial projects, Milliken has written for catalogues accompanying several exhibitions, as well as for Art Jewelry Forum and Domus.

"I am honored to be joining Bellevue Arts Museum as Curator of Craft," said Milliken. "I am eager to speak for the role and influence of craft. In a time of renewed interest in the many disciplines that make up the field, it is thrilling to become part of an institution that advocates for the creative process, skill, and vision of today's most talented makers. I look forward to working with Stefano and our first-rate team of colleagues to present an engaging, innovative, and inspiring program of exhibitions that celebrate the unfolding story of objects and the people who make them."