Kim Kanatani, Museum Director of UCI Institute and Museum of California Art (IMCA), today announced the appointment of Katlyn (Kate) Heusner as the Executive Director of Development, a new position, effective October 25, 2021. Heusner will work in close coordination with Kanatani, IMCA Interim Deputy Director Anne Bergeron, and the UC Irvine Advancement team to lead IMCA’s development program with a goal of securing philanthropic investments to support its mission and vision.                                                                      

Kanatani said, “With her deep experience working in the visual arts in a range of capacities that include fundraising, grants management, curatorial activities, artists’ liaison, and more, Kate is uniquely qualified to serve as IMCA’s inaugural Executive Director of Development. We are delighted to welcome her to IMCA’s senior team as we develop programs, implement our strategic plan, and look ahead to realize an architecturally significant facility for the campus and community in the coming years.”

“I am honored to join UCI IMCA at this pivotal moment in its early history,” said Heusner. “I deeply believe in the mission of public research institutions and the role of the arts in catalyzing creativity, empathy, and innovation. The new museum and institute are singularly positioned to utilize art inspired by the California experience to address the top global challenges of our time and I am grateful to be a part of this endeavor.”

Heusner was most recently Managing Director of Development at the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, where she guided the philanthropic priorities of the school’s $150 million goal as part of the university’s $2 billion campaign. She managed a team of five who collectively raised over $7 million annually for the school, and personally solicited and secured multiple gifts in the six-and seven-figures.

Previously, she served as Development Director of Lux Art Institute in Encinitas, CA, where she directed individual and institutional fundraising activities and earned revenue strategies that generated over $1 million annually. She also designed and executed a targeted capital campaign in support of a new education pavilion designed for exhibitions and artist residencies.

From 2013-14, Heusner provided curatorial and fundraising assistance to the curator of Portland2014, the contemporary art biennial presented by Disjecta Contemporary Art Center in Portland, OR. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Director of Galerie Mor Charpentier in Paris, managing all aspects of the start-up art gallery’s operations, including international projects.

Heusner received her BA in history from Boston College and MA in history of art and architecture, University of Oregon College of Design.

About UCI Institute and Museum of California Art

UCI’s Institute and Museum of California Art (IMCA) is home to two foundational collections of California art—The Irvine Museum Collection, comprising more than 1,300 California Impressionist and plein air paintings, and The Buck Collection, including 3,000-plus works of California modern and post-war contemporary art. The university is planning to construct a permanent museum and research institute to serve as a global magnet for the exhibition and study of California art within its social, historical, environmental, and cultural frameworks. Open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, IMCA is located in an interim museum space at 18881 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, and admission is free. For more information, visit imca.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine

Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation, and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It is located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.