Meet the Team
SITE is a student-led effort where exhibition experience and learning is provided by the administrative, operational, artistic, and curatorial decisions necessary to run a professional gallery. SITE is run by a staff of five undergraduate and graduate Gallery Directors and supported by various student positions. The SITE Directors form and implement the vision for the SITE Galleries exhibition season. Through these efforts, the Directors build the culture of the organization and have an influential role as representatives of the student voice to the SAIC community.
SITE Directors
Gemma Kim (she/her)
Director of Administration
Gemma is a third year graduate student in the Dual MA program at SAIC. Originally from Montgomery County, Maryland, she received her BA with a double major in Art History and English at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2019. Her interests include the effects of diaspora on the production of art, the spatial relationships between art and the public, and issues of equity and access in arts institutions. Gemma currently works as the Admin Director at SITE Galleries and as a Graduate Curatorial Assistant at SAIC Galleries, assisting with thesis and specialty exhibitions.
Eugenio Salazar Castro (he/him)
Director of Marketing & Communications
Eugenio is a painter from Monterrey, Mexico. He is in his fourth year as an undergrad and currently works as an intern for Cleaner Gallery + Projects. Eugenio’s painting practice explores key facets of the human condition and aims to console those with incommunicable daydreams, drawing inspiration from Catholic iconography as well as modern masters like Matisse and Modigliani. In his free time, Eugenio enjoys reading, playing guitar, and petting stray cats.
Gray Watson (they/them)
Director of Programming
Gray is a third-year BFA student from Pennsylvania. They also work as a Gallery Assistant for SAIC Galleries and are interested in arts administration as a method of fostering community and uplifting marginalized groups.
Gray is an interdisciplinary artist working in a wide variety of mediums including painting, drawing, comics, printmaking, installation, writing, sculpture, and performance. They use art as a form of exploration and play and believe that life is your art practice.
David Zhang (he/him)
Director of Installation
Hailing from North Virginia, David Zhang is an artist and curator currently pursuing a BFA in studio art within painting, fibers, and exhibition and curatorial studies.
A transdisciplinary creator, Zhang combines his academic, artistic and curatorial interests within his work. Currently, his practice involves the exploration of the paradoxical simultaneity of construction and destruction within human relationships.
Ahnali Tran (she/they)
Director of Installation
Ahnali is an interdisciplinary artist who has worked for SAIC’s Department of Exhibitions as a Gallery Assistant, and in other museums and galleries as a guard, technician, and arts education facilitator. She is an interdisciplinary sculpture, performance, and installation artist who utilizes her on-site research from galleries as fodder for her work.
Ahnali is in her last year pursuing a BA in the Visual Critical Studies department.
Matthew Cortez (he/him)
Director of the 30th Anniversary
Cortez is an individual at the intersection of practice and theory. He is currently pursuing a BA in Art History, Theory, & Criticism with interests in Dada, Abstract Expressionism, and Post-Minimalism. In his artistic practice, he interrogates love and related notions through Conceptual strategies and Post-Minimalist aesthetics. Recently, he presented on his curatorial projects as a part of the Midwest Art History Society Conference at the University of Chicago.
SITE Support Staff
Caitlin Cooner (she/her)
Lead Archivist
Caitlin is from Houston, Texas, and is a third-year graduate student in the Dual M.A. Art History and Arts Administration program. Her interests lie in art engaging with social practice explored through fiber art and natural materials. She recently held an internship at the Met in the Modern and Contemporary department and she hopes to continue working in arts administration doing research, education, or archival work. In her free-time Caitlin enjoys knitting, reading, and using her AMC A-List membership.
Clare Haffner (she/her)
Gallery + Archive Assistant
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Clare Haffner is a first year graduate student in the Dual M.A. Art History and Arts Administration program. Clare’s artistic practice most often explores the uncannier aspects of the human body. Aside from art, Clare also enjoys spending time with her 6 lovely pet birds.
William Richardson (he/him)
Gallery + Archive Assistant
William is from Ghana and a second-year student in the Master of Science in Historic Preservation program. With great enthusiasm, he delves into archives, cultural heritage preservation, digitization, and cultural diplomacy matters. Fueled by a passion for breathing life into archival matrials, he has undertaken a remarkable exploration of European photographic archives, examining their potential to enrich cultural heritage education and facilitate the migrants integration. Beyond academics, William finds joy in the artistic realms of photography, the culinary delights of cooking, and the thrill of discovering new cultures through travel.
Gallery Assistants
Madison Paige King-Washington (she/her)
Gallery Assistant
Paige is a third year BFA film student from Michigan. Her focus is on human dynamics specifically in the Black community and the adultification of children.
Mia Vida Garcia (she/her)
Gallery Assistant
Hey my name is Mia and I can’t believe I’ll be working for SITE galleries! I am excited to explore and experience yet another side of art. I can’t wait to see what will I be setting up or watching from the sidelines. A little about me is I am actually an artist and working here can better my talent and knowledge about art. I also love reading and writing stories which are such a fascination me. If you want to reach out or see the art I do my instagram is mvg_drawss thanks for reading and have an an amazing day!
Kaitlan Venuto (she/her)
Gallery Assistant
Kaitlan is from Gainesville, Florida and is a first year undergraduate student who plans on pursuing fashion. She is interested in costume design for television and film. Finding joy in many different types of art, Kaitlan is also an interdisciplinary artist who likes to draw and paint in her free time.
Linn Soh (she/her)
Gallery Assistant
Linn Soh is a third year pursing a BFA in Painting and Drawing and a Gallery Assistant at SITE Galleries. She paints with her philosophical musings, recently about the dilemma between cynicism and romanticism. Most days, you can find her rushing to catch the train with a book in her hand, airpods in-ear, constantly listening to music.
SITE Support Staff
Joseph Josué Mora (he/him)
Assistant Director of Exhibitions, Staff Advisor for SITE Galleries and INCUBATOR
Joseph Josué Mora is a Mexican born and Chicago raised artist and arts administrator. In 2018 he graduated from SAIC with a bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree. During his time at SAIC he worked at SITE Galleries as a Gallery Assistant, Install Assistant and Installation Director. In 2021, he returned to the Department of Exhibition and Exhibition Studies at SAIC to work as a Gallery Technician. Mora is the current Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Staff Advisor for SITE Galleries and INCUBATOR.
Contact
Email SITE Directors: sitegalleries@saic.edu
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Address
SITE Sharp Gallery
37 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL, 60603
SITE 280 Gallery
280 S. Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL, 60603
Hours
Gallery Hours (during exhibitions)
Monday – Friday: 12:00 – 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sundays: Closed