Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay, director of Slocumb Galleries, is an award-winning sculptor and has extensive background in curatorial practice and art management.
JOHNSON CITY, TN - Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay, director of Slocumb Galleries in the East Tennessee State University Department of Art and Design, says she is working to help Slocumb "play a more significant role in the development and appreciation of the visual arts in the region by strengthening current programs ... and initiating 'in-reach' and outreach activities to encourage more active community involvement with the arts."
The award-winning sculptor has extensive background in curatorial practice and art management from years of experience working with artist-run galleries and sculpture studios, non-profit cultural organizations, and government-funded agencies.
Contreras-Koterbay graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines, receiving her B.A. in anthropology in 1997 and her M.A. in art history in 2006. She has been invited to exhibit and lecture in the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Brazil and the United States.
She is a member of the American Association of Museums, International Council of Museums, and International Association of Aesthetics, and formerly served as board director of the Art Association of the Philippines and executive committee member of the National Commission for culture and the arts for two consecutive terms.
One of her initiatives is organizing the Slocumb Galleries Society, which is composed of artists, faculty, students, art enthusiasts and other community members committed to promoting creative production, dissemination and access to contemporary visual arts.
Slocumb Galleries was established in 1952 and named after Elizabeth Slocumb, who was the first chair of the then Department of Art, serving from 1911-1952. The facility, located on the first floor of Ball Hall, provides exhibition space for B.F.A. and M.F.A. students, hosts visiting artists' shows and lectures, and sponsors the annual Positive/Negative national art competition and exhibition.
