Patricia Cariño Valdez

Curator and Director of Public Programs, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

Patricia Cariño Valdez is the Curator and Director of Public Programs at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). At this California institution, she oversees exhibition coordination including research, interpretation, and presentation of 8–10 contemporary art exhibitions per year. Additionally, she develops public engagement initiatives including ICA Live!, a performance art program, and Talking Art, a series of panel discussions and artist lectures, portfolio reviews, and workshops. Prior to her current role at the ICA, Cariño worked at the intersection of arts and sciences as the Public Programs Coordinator and Development Specialist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Cariño’s curatorial projects have been held at the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, Asian Contemporary Arts Consortium, Oakland Museum of California, Pro Arts, California College of the Arts, and numerous independent galleries and art spaces in San Francisco and Oakland. She was born in Manila, Philippines and grew up along the West Coast of the United States. Cariño earned a BA in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley and an MA in Curatorial Practice from the California College of the Arts.