UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art Announces Appointment of Alaina Claire Feldman as Inaugural Chief Curator

Irvine, CA… UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA) today announced the appointment of Alaina Claire Feldman as inaugural chief curator, effective January 6, 2025. She will support the curatorial vision of Langson IMCA and the design and development of its exhibition and collection strategies.

Working closely with faculty, staff, students, UC Irvine leadership, and the broader community, Feldman will collaboratively advance Langson IMCA’s commitment to interdisciplinary research, scholarship, presentation, preservation, and education.

She joins Langson IMCA at a time when UC Irvine aims to position arts at the center of its educational mission as a leading public university known for its rigor in research and innovation.

Feldman currently serves as director and curator of the Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College, The City University of New York (CUNY), a public university. Previously she was director of exhibitions at Independent Curators International (ICI), New York. In addition to organizing more than 20 exhibitions, she has edited numerous publications and participated in panels and committees internationally.

During her tenure, Feldman heightened Mishkin Gallery’s profile by touring presentations of its

collection while building partnerships with art and academic institutions across New York and in Zurich, São Paulo, Porto, San Juan, and Tbilisi. In addition to participating in related campus initiatives, Feldman is an adjunct professor in Baruch College’s Fine and Performing Arts department and CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College. She will serve as a guest curator for an inaugural exhibition when the new Taichung Art Museum opens in Taiwan next winter.

“Langson IMCA’s superpower is harnessing the research and innovation of the 15 schools on UC Irvine’s campus,” said Richard Aste, Ph.D., interim museum director of Langson IMCA. “Alaina’s proven record of successful academic engagement across one of our country’s leading urban universities will help us take our superpower to the next level.”

Feldman said, “I am excited to join the very talented staff at Langson IMCA and to collaborate with the brilliant faculty and students at UC Irvine. Langson IMCA is the perfect place to activate interdisciplinary work by bringing together artists, scholars, and the greater community. I plan to continue the campus’ rich legacy of fostering experimental artist-driven programs as a catalyst for new inquiry and creativity.”

Feldman earned an M.A. from the Graduate Center at CUNY and B.A. from the Pratt Institute, New York.