May 4, 2023

PICA Announces Reuben Roqueñi as the new Executive Director

PICA

Join us in welcoming Reuben Roqueñi to the PICA team!

PICA is thrilled to announce Reuben Roqueñi as our next Executive Director! As the third Executive Director of PICA, Reuben follows in the footsteps of the beloved Victoria Frey, who led the organization for over 20 years, and Founding Director Kristy Edmunds. We will honor the legacy and contributions of our outgoing Executive Director, Victoria, and celebrate Reuben’s new role on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at PICA’s Annual Spring Fundraiser. This is a significant moment in PICA’s history, and we are excited to work with Reuben as he builds upon this strong foundation and stewards PICA into the future.

I have long been committed to the capacities of the creative community to inform a global exchange of ideas, to interrogate historic inequities, and challenge our ways of seeing the world. I am truly honored to be welcomed into PICA to contribute to its long legacy of nurturing artistic experimentation and prompting sticky conversations. — Reuben Roqueñi

Reuben comes to us with an expansive background in contemporary art programs, grantmaking, and support for artists. His most recent position was Director of Transformative Change Programs at the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF), a national organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon. NACF advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. Reuben currently serves as Board President of MAP Fund, which invests in performing artists and their work as the critical foundation of imagining and co-creating a more equitable and vibrant society across the United States and its territories. Reuben's understanding of our organization runs deep. As a former PICA Board member and someone with national roles on advisory boards and panels, he brings a unique perspective to PICA.

We are delighted to welcome Reuben, in whom we have a collaborator and leader who is unequivocally committed to PICA and Portland. His deep, long-standing connections with Indigenous communities and understanding of decolonization efforts will help us realize many of our efforts toward equity and inclusion. Reuben will be a true partner in building a more vibrant, culturally diverse contemporary art landscape. — PICA Artistic Directors Roya Amirsoleymani, Erin Boberg Doughton, Kristan Kennedy

Reuben will officially join the PICA team on June 12, 2023, working closely with Victoria Frey and PICA's Board and staff through the transition. Meet Reuben at the Annual Spring Fundraiser or one of the many celebrations and gatherings in the coming months! You can learn more about Reuben through our official press release, linked below.

Press Release PDF

Both Reuben Roqueñi and Victoria Frey are available for interviews. Please email Leslie Vigeant, PICA’s Director of Marketing and Communications, at leslie@pica.org to make arrangements.