Dr. Lourdes Ramos, M.A. ’84, was educated as an artist. Now, she is a cultural engineer.
“Museums require not just knowing about art history, not just management or administration,” Ramos said, “because there are many things that work together in art. It’s not just about the art on the walls.”
A successful museum requires a combination of academics, logistics, networking, leadership, and vision.
Ramos’ own leadership has guided the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)—of which she has been president and CEO since 2017—to its 30th anniversary this year.
Located in Long Beach, California, MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to Latin American art. Featuring paintings, sculptures, textiles, works on paper, video, and photography from artists based in the United States and 23 other countries, the museum acts as a nexus of cultural connection for the entire Latin American world.
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Ramos has remained connected to Illinois State through her success, returning in 2019 to deliver the spring commencement address for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, “which has one of the best art departments in the United States,” Ramos said, and she is an inductee in the college’s Hall of Fame.
Fresh off the museum’s 30th Anniversary Gala and Auction, Ramos took the time to share her career and passion for art as a Redbird.
What ignited your passion for art?
It was the authentic desire to give a legacy to the world, to make something really special in terms of changing lives.
First, my passion was as an artist, and then it became passion as a cultural engineering specialist. I think what I look to do is to turn art and the creation process into a healing moment—a way to give options for building up a better world for humanity.
The authentic passion is to transform, or help transform, and give people the instruments to transform life and human beings.
How did your career bring you to MOLAA?
I was the director of the Museum of Puerto Rican Art, and when we went through the accreditation process, we did it in a spirited way that caught the attention of the accreditation commission. From there, I became accreditation commissioner of the American Alliance of Museums, and MOLAA was one of the museums that I was in charge of accrediting. A few months after their assessment, they called me when the director position was available.
That was an easy decision to make, because, while I really took into consideration the work that I was doing in my own country, I recognized that this was a real opportunity to make something meaningful for Latin American countries and Latinos across the world.
What is your mission at MOLAA?
Right now, we are in the design process for the next project to modernize and expand MOLAA, and this goes with the idea that I have had from the very beginning of my time here: how an instrument like a museum can be a real representative of 33 Latin American countries and territories.
That’s the idea of the expansion project, which will allow us to use a system of open storage that lets as much of our collection be viewed as possible. We have the Mexican architect Enrique Norton designing the expansion. He was the architect who designed the new library in New York, among many other buildings.
It’s a $125 million project that we hope to build in phases. The first phase should start between the end of 2029 and the beginning of 2030. $10 million has come from the state of California, but we are seeking further support from Latin American countries. I just came back from Colombia and am starting a conversation with Guatemala, so we’re building up the network for this project right now.
How is MOLAA celebrating its 30th anniversary?
We started by making an extraordinary publication about the 30 years of the museum. It’s a beautiful publication, and that’s the main item of the anniversary.
Then the gala was a big celebration. We hosted three legacy awards there. The lifetime achievement award was given to one of our greatest contemporary artists, Edward James Olmos; the award for philanthropy went to collector Tanya Capriles de Brillembourg; and Rep. Robert Garcia of California received the leadership award.
What message would you like to give to aspiring artists?
Be persistent. Trust in your dreams and move in that direction. Select your target, select your vision, and be loyal to your vision, but know that there are many ways to get to the same place.
You, as a human being, have an extreme capacity to be free, but that freedom should start with a commitment to be loyal to yourself and your vision so that you do not lose the time you have to create.
