Chris S. Nishiwaki
Northwest Asia Weekly
Joel Barraquel Tan
Social justice advocate and nonprofit executive Joël Barraquiel Tan has been hired as the new executive director of the Wing Luke Museum, capping a year-long national search led by Wing Luke board co-chairs Ellen Ferguson and Jill Nishi, They also co-chair the search committee. The job is promoted with a salary of $155,000 to $180,000.
Barraquiel Tan becomes the first queer, foreign-born and Filipino curator to lead the museum’s 54-year history. Barraquiel Tan, who relocated from Hawaii, will be attending the Wing Luke gala on March 13 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. His first day at work was April 15th.
“Why should I leave one of the most beautiful places on earth to do this job?” Barraquiel Tan asked rhetorically before answering his own question.
“My response to The Wing was like ‘Bat Signal,'” referring to the popular searchlight call for help in the adventure comic Batman. “For me, this opportunity arose in the midst of the pandemic, in the midst of API hatred. It was about ‘what are you going to do in this moment? “If you’re going to look at The Wing’s opportunity as a bat signal. That’s the anchor. Cultural capital, social capital (Wing Luke) is the batmobile. What happens next year requires a strong institution like The Wing to get through.” “
Barraquiel Tan succeeds Beth Takekawa, who retired after 14 years as executive director and 24 years with the organization. After Ron Chew left the museum in 2007, Takekawa rose to the top job.
“Neither Ron nor Beth came from the realm of museums, they brought their unique perspectives,” Ferguson said.
“During this search, we were looking for people with a lot of creativity, intersecting skills and personalities.
Joël stood out as the right person, and the right person this time. We are very excited. He is a man who can connect with numerous communities in many ways. He is a community man in many ways. He does it in a holistic way. Frankly, we need a lot of therapy these days. And, his art and creativity are in his DNA.
“Joel has a warm personality. His positive attitude will be valuable as we open up to the public.”
While the fictional Batman is a member of the Justice League, Barraquiel Tan is rooted in social justice. Barroquiel Tan, who will have extensive experience in social justice, storytelling, diversity, equity and inclusion, public health and the arts, will lead the 40-person team and over $3 million agency headquartered in Chinatown Donggangyi Building in the International District.
Deputy Director Cassie Chin, who served as interim executive director during the search, will return to her old job.
“She’s a different type of leader. I also know good work when I see it,” said the enthusiastic Barraquiel Tan in his support of Chin. “It’s important to me that (Chin) is thoughtful in setting the agenda and executing it.”
Ferguson also noted that COO Gary Yamamoto is an important executive who will adapt Barraquiel Tan to the Wing Luke community and the region as a whole.
Barraquiel Tan moved to Hawaii in 2015 as Executive Director of the East Hawaii Center for Contemporary Art and the Kalanihonua Retreat Center. His latest position is Touching the Earth’s Social Impact and Program Director.
In 2018, he helped create Vibrant Hawaii, a collective impact network led by different departments working on a systemic level to eliminate 55 percent of the island’s poverty rate.
But his experience at the groundbreaking Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco set Ferguson, West and other members of the search committee apart. Barraquiel Tan was the Director of Community Engagement at YBCA for 11 years. He created and implemented YBCA’s award-winning Civic Engagement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a project modeled on the Wing Luke Museum’s community art curation program developed by Chew.
Barraquiel Tan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and Letters from Antioch University. He is currently completing a Masters in Family Therapy at North Central University.
Chris can be reached by info@nwasianweekly.com.
