吃瓜爆料

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte 鈥�25, an art history major and double minor in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx studies and arts administration, found her community and her calling through the .

When she first arrived at 吃瓜爆料, Chiara thought she would be a psychology major and go on to become a children鈥檚 therapist. She was diagnosed at an early age with selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that makes children unable to speak in certain social settings. 鈥淚 wanted to give my voice to others who struggle to use their own,鈥� she said, speaking at a event in fall 2024.

She was introduced to the Tang through her first-year Scribner Seminar, Folk and Self-Taught Art. The class curated an exhibition called 鈥淥n Their Own Terms鈥� with the guidance of Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and Malloy Curator Rachel Seligman. 鈥淎fter experiencing curatorial practice, my entire plan shifted,鈥� Chiara recalls.

Upon joining the the following spring, she became acquainted with the student-led side of the museum. A couple years later, she would become its chair.

I鈥檝e lived most of my life near Museum Mile in New York City, so I鈥檝e visited many museums. But at the Tang, I found a new form of creative expression. I found that I could visualize a career path for myself through museum work, and it was also a way that I could amplify voices.鈥�

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte '25

Chiara began to register for classes that specifically worked with the Tang, including Dayton Director and Professor of Liberal Arts Ian Berry鈥檚 class, The Artist鈥檚 Interview.  

She also became a Tang guide, worked as a registrar intern alongside Senior Museum Registrar Elizabeth Karp in summer 2023, and secured the 2023-24 Carole Marchand Endowed internship.  

鈥淚 chose to focus on building the research and writing skills that are necessary to work in museum curation. In my very first semester as the Marchand intern, I helped the curatorial staff with publications, editing, and model making, and I was still able to have a hand in collections work.鈥�

Chiara is also one of five students who comprised the inaugural class of Miranda Family Fellows at 吃瓜爆料. The three-year program 鈥� during the fellows鈥� junior and senior years and one year post-grad 鈥� supports opportunities for emerging artists and arts administrators from underrepresented communities.

鈥淢ost significantly, I discovered that the artists that I personally feel most connected to and that I wish to continue to spotlight are Latinx artists,鈥� says Chiara. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really wonderful to get to know and work with artist Yvette Molina (whose work is on exhibition at the Tang through September 2025), and we鈥檝e had many discussions about how our identities inspire our work.鈥�