Marcus Curatorial Fellowship
About
The Marcus Curatorial Fellowship was established with a generous gift made by the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation. This fellowship provides emerging Bay Area thought leaders who are interested in pursing a career in the arts with the opportunity to work with living artists of all disciplines, and to create and develop a public program.
Designed to infuse fresh thinking and diverse voices to continually reinvigorate and expand Montalvo’s programmatic offerings, two curatorial fellows will be selected every two years. Each will be offered a part-time, paid position, to work at the Lucas Artists Program (“LAP”). Each will have the opportunity to support the development of LAP projects from conception to public presentation and evaluation. In addition, each fellow will have the unique opportunity to present original scholarship based upon their research and their direct experiences working with contemporary artists in the form of an exhibition, installation, project, or community engagement program at the culmination of their fellowship.
Our inaugural Marcus Curatorial Fellows, Olivia Esparza and Clara Kamunde, began their two-year term in January, 2024.
Current Curatorial Fellows
Olivia Esparza
Olivia Esparza brings a unique perspective to her work, shaped by a childhood steeped in creative environments. Growing up surrounded by artistic expression and event production, she gained rare early access to diverse creative worlds. A native of San Jose, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Whittier College in 2023. Her creative journey reached new heights when she secured first place in the 2023 Coffee Design & Marketing Competition, with her winning design now available for purchase. Recently, she further developed her talents as an interactive graphic designer during her internship at Sephora. This formative exposure to the arts from a young age, combined with her academic training and professional experiences, has cultivated her distinctive vision and approach.
Photo credit: Paul Gallo
Programs:
• LAP 20th Anniversary Celebration
• A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit
• 2024 Marcus Exhibition Future Dreaming… A Path Forward
• MACLA x Montalvo Collaborative Exhibition ~ Dec 2025
Clara Kamunde
Clara Kamunde is an Oakland-based, Kenyan-born cultural worker practicing at the intersection of arts education and social justice. Her career began with the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles where, as a grantee for the Artist-In-The-Community program, she collaborated with community organizations to produce and present site-integrated programming in urban parks, recreation areas and historic sites, and schools located in underserved communities throughout Greater Los Angeles. For her contribution in supporting access to quality arts programming with DCA, she was awarded an Honorary Citation by the City of Los Angeles. Clara is an arts integration specialist, museum educator, and professional storyteller. She was formerly a fellow at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State University where she earned a master’s degree in Creativity Studies.
Photo credit: Paul Gallo
Programs:
• LAP 20th Anniversary Celebration
• 2024 Marcus Exhibition Future Dreaming… A Path Forward
• You Can’t Eat Art Podcast Series ~ Feb 2025