When she was a student at Wheaton College in northern Massachusetts, Min Jung Kim called her father in South Korea with some news.
“I remember sharing with him that I found where my passion lies – that I was interested in majoring in art history,” Kim said.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, in Seoul, more than 6,800 miles away.
“While he wanted to remain supportive, he also wanted to know, ‘What are you going to do with it?’” she recalled.
Kim adds despite her father’s initial surprise, she had her family’s blessing from the onset.
“I’ve always been interested in art, but it never occurred to me it was something l would study or make into a professional career,” she said. “I feel fortunate my family has been supportive – it shaped the next 30 years of my life.”
Kim, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s new director, is the first woman to lead the almost 143-year-old institution. It’s the culmination of decades of studying, learning, discovering and putting in the hard work in pursuit of a passion that began with an art history class at Wheaton College.
“I discovered art history when I first came to the U.S.,” she said. “I was really wide-eyed and very impressionable and open to anything and everything. I was interested in pursuing a liberal arts education and had the opportunity to take an art history survey course.”
The course, an overview of art history over time, not only introduced her to the subject matter, but also led to further exploration.
“When I was an undergrad, I thought my passion was 15th-century Italian Renaissance art,” Kim said. “Over the years, particularly because of the museums and because of the exposure that I gained, especially with living contemporary artists, my area of expertise started to shift more toward contemporary art. That’s what I love the most about art – you’re constantly learning.”
After graduation, Kim pursued a master’s degree in art history from The Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London. She returned to Seoul for a few years, first working for Sotheby’s and then at the Samsung Foundation of Culture as assistant curator.
“The most valuable thing that I gained was that I found I was not as interested in the commercial aspect of art – that I really wanted to work in a nonprofit, in a museum, especially,” Kim said.
No matter where work led her – be it in Seoul; at the Guggenheim, where she was the director of content alliances, managing partnerships with Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna; or at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut, where she most recently served as director and CEO – the inclination not only for discovery, but how to apply that knowledge to tell stories that connect with the community, was a constant presence.
At the New Britain Museum of American Art, Kim was hailed for overseeing exhibitions and collection development that expanded the definition of American art to reflect greater diversity – a strategy she admits was somewhat intentional.
“It’s a wonderful museum – the first museum in the country dedicated to American art – with a remarkable collection with particular strengths. But the collection really only tells one particular story of American art,” she said. “What I was really interested in is how might we expand that story? We started out with a very simple question: What is American art? And who is an American artist? Is there such a thing as an American cultural identity? The way in which we were able to include more voices allowed us to be more diverse and more inclusive, and quite honestly, provide a more accurate reflection of the changing demographics of this country.”
However, Kim says there is no easy way to “neatly and succinctly” define what constitutes American art.
“I don’t think it’s about ending up at a point where we can create parameters around it, but rather acknowledge the identity of American art and culture is not a monolith,” she said. “It represents multiple perspectives, it’s ever-evolving as we open ourselves up to different thoughts, ideas and perspectives and create platforms for conversation.”
It’s a belief that will guide her as she takes on her first full year at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
“The museum has a collection that expands more than five millennia – think of the expression of artistic excellence from that perspective, the endless cultural narrative,” she said.
Finding opportunities in those cultural narratives is what Kim is aiming for. Even prior to her arrival, much had been said about what she would represent: The first woman, the first person of color, the first immigrant at the helm of the venerable institution.
However, Kim doesn’t view the role as a challenge unique to her.
“I’d like to think it doesn’t make it any more challenging than anyone else in this position should find it to be a challenge – but in the best possible way,” she said. “That said, it is an incredible honor, pleasure and privilege to, indeed, be one of these firsts. What I’d like to do is contribute to this ongoing effort. I’m not only the first, but the first of many more to come. I’d like it to become the norm, instead of the exception.”
One of her priorities as the museum’s new leader is to focus on strengthening the museum’s ties to the community.
“I’d always known about it by reputation – it’s extremely well-regarded and highly respected within the art world, both nationally and internationally – but I was really only scratching the surface,” Kim said. “Being here now on the ground for all that I have come to admire greatly about the Saint Louis Art Museum … there’s so much more to this museum and a big part of that is not only having an understanding of the museum itself, but its place in relation to the community.”
Kim believes the key to building relationships is having meaningful conversations with St. Louisans.
“There’s such a vibrant cultural community here of the visual and performing arts, the colleges and universities … I’ve been enjoying learning and getting to know everyone and having the opportunity to introduce myself,” she said. “And I hope these conversations are not just something that will be one-off ones, but ones that continue to build longer-term relationships that will explore opportunities for collaborations.”
Perhaps it’s not surprising that one of Kim’s prime resources for getting to know the St. Louis community was right in her own backyard: The museum’s fall 2021 exhibit, “Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration,” was on display when she first came to town.
“I almost feel like it was an exhibition made for me – someone who was new to town, to the museum, new to the region. It showed the history and context of the region with a perspective on artistic achievement for over 1,000 years. What an exceptional resource for me!” she said. “That exhibit enabled me to have a more in-depth appreciation of the region, including how extraordinary the deep local identities and communities are here.”
With the decades of expertise she’s accumulated, coupled with the brand-new perspective she brings, Kim hopes to build on the Saint Louis Art Museum’s renown the world over.
“To my delight and pleasure and surprise, I have discovered that a majority of this world-class collection comprises of major gifts by St. Louis collectors,” she said. “This museum’s collection has been the beneficiary of some generous, extraordinary gifts.”
Among the most recent is a planned donation from St. Louis philanthropist and longtime benefactor Emily Rauh Pulitzer of 22 major works of art, including masterpieces that museums of greater prominence would covet.
“The gift will have a transformative impact on our collection,” Kim noted. “In many ways, it really will bring in some key works where we don’t have strong representation. Each of these works is really spectacular – and they’re staying here, right here in St. Louis!”
Places, Ms. Garland and everyone else … and cue the fireworks!
Art Museum Presents Largest Display of Paintings on Stone in New Exhibit
