Riverside Art Museum Names New Director

Vivian Zavataro will begin as executive director of the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) on Oct. 1, 2025, following the departure of Drew Oberjuerge in June 2025.

Leadership Transition

RAM’s board president Patricia Reynolds announced the appointment, noting the museum’s evolution from a community venue to a dynamic cultural institution with international reach. Oberjuerge had led the museum for more than 13 years before stepping down. The board highlighted the collaborative vision that has brought the museum to its current position and expressed excitement about the future under Zavataro’s leadership.

Cheech Marin Center

As executive director, Zavataro will also oversee the artistic direction of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Arts and Culture, a program Oberjuerge had spearheaded. Maria Esther Fernández, the inaugural artistic director of the Cheech, left her role in August 2025. Zavataro will maintain the Center’s practice of inviting guest curators to organize temporary exhibitions.

Zavataro’s Background

Zavataro is presently the executive and creative director of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. She has previously served as executive director and chief curator at the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada. Her curatorial work includes shows for Justin Favela, Guillermo Bert, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Kiara Aileen Machado, and Edi Rama. At the Lilly Museum she organized the 2021-22 exhibition “En Medio | Senses of Migration.”

Academic Credentials

She is a PhD candidate at the University of Reading in England, researching museum audience engagement. Zavataro holds master’s degrees in museum studies from the University of Amsterdam and in curating from Zurich University of the Arts.

Vision for the Future

In her statement, Zavataro said she is honored to join the museum “at such a pivotal moment.” She emphasized the importance of places where art, community, and culture intersect in urgent, living ways. She plans to work with the team, board, artists, guest curators, and the broader Riverside and Inland Empire communities to broaden the museum’s impact and ensure programs reflect and celebrate the people it serves.

Community Engagement Cheech Marin, whose collection forms the basis of the Cheech, praised Zavataro’s understanding of artists, museums, and community building. He expressed enthusiasm about the next chapter the new director will bring. The museum’s upcoming exhibitions can be viewed on the fixtures page, and the current board roster is listed on the squad.