Angela enjoying the world’s greatest doughnuts at NYC’s Doughnut Plant.

PICA: How did you first get engaged with contemporary art?

Angela Mattox: My first point of entry was as a practitioner. I’m a former dancer and this first-hand experience has always informed how I work with artists and has been really valuable in providing insight into the creative process. I often reflect on the vulnerability of an artist as she puts forward her work to the public, and that has helped me be a more compassionate curator.

PICA: You’ve worked on both the funding and the presenting side of art—can you share a little about your background and the path you’ve taken to get here?

AM: I think it’s imperative to understand how the field really operates, from multiple points of view. While it wasn’t my intention to work in various branches of arts administration—from funding to presenting—the perspectives I gained really shaped my priorities and values.

My entry into working in the arts started with my job at Arts International in 1999, a really extraordinary funding organization based in New York that supported international exchange in the arts. The job brought me to NYC from Los Angeles and it was a transformative relocation. I was coordinating a range of grant programs and funding initiatives, many of which funded US artists to travel abroad to perform and exhibit their work, participate in international residency programs, and engage in international collaborations. It was gratifying to support artists as they explored and took risks in their work, and it was exciting to wrestle with broader issues around contextualization and translation. I had explored some of these issues in academia, so it was thrilling to explore them in more practical, on-the-ground ways. I was incredibly passionate about this work, and my commitment to global exchange and cross-cultural dialogue is still very present in my work today.

At a certain point in my work doing grant administration, I felt too removed from the creative process, and I recognized that I wanted to find a career that would allow me to work more closely with artists and go deeper with specific projects.

In 2003, I returned to the West Coast to take the curatorial position at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.  I’m really proud of the work I’ve done at YBCA, which has been to present and commission contemporary works by local, national, and international dance, theater, music, and interdisciplinary artists.

PICA: Explain your approach to contemporary artistic practice—what does it mean to think and curate across disciplines?

AM: Well, I see the role of a contemporary art organization as a platform where potent artistic expression, ideas, emotions, and audiences can intersect. My work is about cultivating curiosity and investment around experimental and visionary contemporary artistic practice. In terms of the kinds of artists I look to support, I can say that I’m dedicated to nurturing artists who embrace experimentation, who question and subvert assumptions of current forms and discipline boundaries. In fact, I think it’s imperative that contemporary art centers take a leadership role in supporting new forms and cross-disciplinary work. So much of our field separates out the various disciplines, and that doesn’t allow for cross-pollination of ideas and aesthetics. I do think it’s important to acknowledge the distinct histories, lineages, and critical discourse arising from the various disciplines, but ultimately, I’m interested in artists whose work reflects the profound, complex issues of our time—from the personal to the epic. These themes permeate through all forms and disciplines.

PICA: How do you approach working with artists? Where does the process begin?

AM: As a curator, I believe in being a generative force, and I am committed to commissioning new work. The job is about taking risks on concepts and new ideas. Curators have to be fluid and flexible as they support artists as the creative process goes into unexpected territory. And, while I’m committed to researching and supporting young artists, I also believe in supporting artists over a long period of time throughout their artistic trajectory; it is a crucial way to build trust and a foundation to support future risk-taking.

PICA: What are some projects that you’ve been involved with at YBCA of which you are particularly proud?

AM: I’m really proud of my eight-year tenure at YBCA, but there are definitely a few highlights. My recent art crush is on cross-disciplinary artist Ralph Lemon, whose work moves between visual art and performance and tackles some big themes. The project I presented was called, How Can You Stay in the House All Day and Not Go Anywhere and his vision definitely pushed me to expand my work as a curator in exciting ways.

With this piece, I was able to support Ralph’s vision far beyond the confines of the stage to present his body of visual and installation work in a gallery and screening room space.  We also transformed our big theater into a fully immersive visual art installation, which created amazing opportunities for immersion and introspection with his poetic material.

I really connected with the larger themes in the work. It was a fearless exploration of what it means to be human—an exploration of the potency and grace of human connection.  The project renewed my faith that artists are willing to tackle universal themes of love, loss, and transcendence with a rare vulnerability.

PICA: What are a few of the trends, regions, artists, and ideas that most excite you about the future of contemporary art?

EM: As I mentioned, my commitment to presenting global perspectives is really important to me.  I believe strongly in fluid conversation between local and global ideas. So it’s no surprise that I love to research and travel internationally to festivals and conferences to experience new artistic expression and cultural contexts. I think deeply about the work would resonate with local audiences. I’ve been really excited by the work happening in Latin America—such a vast and complex region for artistic expression. Argentina has an extraordinary theater scene, and Brazil has really provocative and transgressive performance art scene. I’ve also supported a lot of contemporary African work that has been some of the most urgent and compelling work I’ve ever experienced.

PICA: What interests you about the work that PICA does in the field?

EM: Over the past several years, I’ve looked to PICA as a source of inspiration for visionary, artistic programming—I love the unique and poetic collisions of artistic viewpoints and disciplines. As I was interviewing for the job and reviewing the lists of artists that PICA has presented, I was amazed at just how many extraordinary artists have been supported by PICA, and often before the rest of the US arts centers had even heard of them. That kind of leadership is inspiring.

The TBA Festival is one of the most important national convergences of artists and curators. I’m enamored with how TBA creates dynamic exchanges of art and ideas in social settings. I’ve attended the festival for the past four years, and I love how the PICA spirit infuses the city!

I think the organization is at a profound moment of revitalization as the organization transitions into a new physical space, grows programming beyond the confines of the annual festival. I think there is an extraordinary opportunity to build on the solid artistic program history, and to explore ways to deepen the impact of the work locally.

PICA: Is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to in Portland?

EM: I’m very much looking forward to getting to know the city and explore the different neighborhoods, which all seem to have exciting and diverse characteristics. It will be fun settling in and discovering my new favorite brunch spots, wine bars, and boutique clothing stores. Advice welcome!!

PORTLAND, OR — Angela Mattox, former Performing Arts Curator at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), will join the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art as the new Artistic Director, Victoria Frey, PICA’s Executive Director, announced today.

“We are happy to welcome Angela to PICA and to Portland. She is a respected peer with a stellar reputation in the field and among artists,” said Frey. “As we look to expand our role in the community, it is inspiring to work with someone with such passion for the explorations of artists and commitment to their long-term careers. Her experience in working across disciplines, and her commitment to bringing communities together will be strong assets here.”

“I’m excited to bring my artistic vision to such a progressive art organization, situated in one of the most vibrant and creative hubs in the country,” said Mattox. “It is an amazing opportunity to connect art and ideas with Portland audiences at this particular cultural moment.”

From 2003 through 2011, Mattox revitalized YBCA’s performing arts presenting program with a global eye focused on experimental practice, cross cultural exchange, and interdisciplinary work. In her eight years at YBCA, she supported such visionary artists as Ralph Lemon, Meg Stuart, Nick Cave, and Lemi Ponifasio, and championed new work by local artists in the Bay Area including Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Keith Hennessy, and Sarah Shelton Mann. The artists and projects that Mattox has supported illustrate her expansive vision of contemporary practice that spans visual and performing art.

Artist Ralph Lemon noted that Mattox is, “among the few the modern performance curators in the U.S. that truly understand the important opportunity of the job: bringing compelling and challenging new art to the public, while taking care of the artists making the work. Angela is fearless, takes risks and has a vision beyond perceived conventions. Dance can go on a wall and a theater can thrive in a garage; if it is good work, it can be shared beyond the stage.”

Before her position at YBCA, Mattox worked for Arts International from 1999-2003, where she coordinated such national grant programs as the Artists Exploration Fund, the California Presenters Initiative, and The Fund for US Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions. She has continued this work at the national and international level serving in networks such as the National Dance Project, the Japan Foundation’s Performing Arts Japan committee, the Contemporary Arts Centers network, and Headlands Center for the Arts Program Advisory Council, and on panels including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Multi-Arts Production Fund, Mid-Atlantic Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Western Arts Alliance.

“Angela is one of the bright stars nationally in contemporary performing arts,” said Philip Bither, McGuire Senior Curator, Performing Arts, Walker Art Center. “She has done groundbreaking work during her years at [YBCA], and I think her strong curatorial vision, her close relationships with so many artists, and her care and concern for audiences and the community within which she is working will serve PICA and Portland extremely well.”

Mattox will begin her official tenure at PICA on September 1, 2011, and will be on the ground for this year’s Time-Based Art Festival, which is the final year of TBA Guest Artistic Director Cathy Edwards’ three-year appointment. “For the past four years,” Mattox remarked, “I’ve eagerly anticipated going to the TBA Festival.  It’s always an immersive experience full of discovery—a confluence of artistic, intellectual, and social engagement.” The hiring of Mattox as a year-round, resident AD marks a strategic return for PICA to an artistic leader who is embedded in the Portland community, and invested in the organization’s long-range conversations with artists and supporters.

“We are grateful to Cathy Edwards, and Mark Russell before her, for their leadership of the TBA Festival—they brought new vision and voices to the community, and will continue to serve PICA as valued advisors,” said PICA Board Member Deborah Horrell, who chaired the Artistic Director Search Committee. “Mattox fulfills PICA’s desire for a leader with presence, a commitment to civic outreach, and a strong artistic vision. We are confident that she will inspire the staff, board, funders, and our future audiences as PICA moves forward and expands our presence.”

“I am thrilled to join the PICA team at this exciting stage in the organization’s trajectory,” said Mattox. “PICA is a leader in supporting new forms, ideas, and aesthetics and it is an honor to build upon the organization’s robust artistic legacy of experimentation and innovation.

Press Contact: Patrick Leonard | Communications Director
503.242.1419 x224 | patrick@pica.org