South Korea Funds Curatorial Position at Royal Ontario Museum
Vicki Sung-yeon Kwon
The Royal Ontario Museum has appointed Vicki Sung-yeon Kwon as its inaugural curator of Korean art and culture, a position funded by the South Korean government.
The appointment – which the museum says is the first of its kind at a Canadian museum – was made possible with an undisclosed amount of funding from South Korea's culture ministry.
Director Josh Basseches says the Toronto museum houses one of the largest collections of Korean art and culture in North America and Europe.
"Vicki will play a vital role raising awareness and encouraging an appreciation for Korean heritage in this province and country, while offering fresh perspectives on the impact and influence of Korean art and culture on the contemporary world," said Basseches.
According to the 2021 federal census, there were some 218,140 Korean Canadians in Canada. Toronto has been home to the country's largest Korean community.
Kwon will oversee the museum's Korean collection, organize exhibitions, arrange public programming, carry out research and oversee future acquisitions.
The funding from South Korea will support a range of activities, including programming, installations and other initiatives to foster public engagement with Korean art and culture, the museum said.
Kwon, most recently a postdoctoral fellow at the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, has a doctorate in art history from the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to contribute to both Canada and Korea with my expertise in Korean art and culture and my work experience in the Canadian art and cultural sector,” says Kwon.
“Born and raised in Korea, I have frequently visited the Royal Ontario Museum, especially during my undergraduate and MA program at the University of Toronto, and actively engaged in the Toronto art scene. I am excited to create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement, working as a liaison between Korea and Canada, and contributing to making ROM a hub for the diasporic Korean community and multicultural communities in Canada.”
Source: Royal Ontario Museum
