Meet our Community Manager, Kate Nguyen

What do you put on your toast?

I like to let my bread cool slightly after toasting. Then I apply a generous amount of salted butter... very generous...and top with a light glaze of jam. Strawberry is the classic favorite but I am also a sucker for any homemade jam. But let’s be honest, the toast is really just a vessel to carry the butter.

How did you first encounter Ox-Bow?

I was first introduced to Ox-Bow by my friend and previous Executive Director, Jason Kalajainen. He had invited us to attend the annual summer fundraiser. We came with a group of friends to learn about the organization and ended up dancing the night away. That year each guest went home with a small token from the glass studio. It was a blue glass medallion, fixed with the Ox-Bow logo on it and it still hangs on my Christmas tree each year.

You have a pretty unique professional background. Can you tell us about the path that led to your current role?

I went to college and studied English because I loved reading, writing, learning, exploring, and creating. My first job after college was as an editorial assistant, which then turned into a business reporter and from there I went into freelance marketing and business writing, managing a small community theater, marketing for an arts organization, and an economic development company. In my last several months with the economic development company, I was helping entrepreneurs get their businesses started and that lit a fire in me that I could do the same thing. From there I started an event management and planning company and, over the course of almost 15 years, worked with numerous non- profits, corporations, and small businesses to plan their conferences, trainings, events, and fundraisers. And as it happened, all roads lead back to Ox-Bow. In 2019 I started working on a contractual basis to assist in the planning and execution of the summer benefit and over the years that grew into several events each year. Last year when the Community Manager position opened up I decided to take all of that previous experience, put it together, and here I am!

What does a typical day look like as Community Manager at Ox-Bow?

That is what I love most...there is no typical day! Each day I do monitor our social media channels @oxbowschoolofart and @oxbow_hospitality and see what’s popping up. I can usually be found moving between all of our social media platforms, writing newsletters, e-blasts, and staying up to date with the constant changes in that world. When I am not behind my computer, I am out in the community making connections and seeing how Ox-Bow fits into the greater world around us. We love to partner with local organizations and businesses to bring our mission and art in general into the lives of the community. We also love to hear the community’s experiences at Ox-Bow, what they learned, shared, anecdotes of time spent on campus and more.

What community initiatives are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to a fun spring campaign that we have coming up that will have us getting to know our Douglas neighbors and also a few exciting culinary series that will be happening soon. Mostly I am looking forward to the campus being full of the energy and spirit that makes OxBow what it is!

Do you have an artistic practice of your own?

I like to think I bring creativity to everything I do, in my work, in my personal life, and in my hobbies. I am not sure if it is an artistic practice, but I have been designing and creating jewelry for, well, let’s just say for a very long time now! I enjoy working with different beads, wiring techniques, clasps, etc. I have collected beads for years from travels, friends, family, and vintage jewelry and then take inspiration from many things around me that I am excited about and want to try. Sometimes it is fashion, a destination, a landscape, a person, place, certain material, or story that inspires me to create. I love creating something that can add some fun and funky flair to an outfit and make you feel just a little bit extra. I am currently focused on bracelets but have quite a collection of earrings and necklaces that continue to round out the collection.

KATE NGUYEN (she/her) is a connector of community, a lover of happy people and good food, and an adventurer and wanderer at heart. She is currently the Community Manager at Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency but before she was at Ox-Bow, she owned and operated an event management and planning firm in the West Michigan area. She has a diverse work background and has worked in journalism, marketing, theatre management, economic development, and non-profit development.

OX-BOW HOUSE

In spring 2022 Ox-Bow acquired use of 137 Center Street for the pilot project: Ox-Bow House. With a vibrant community of nationally and internationally respected artists on our campus each year, Ox-Bow House seeks to extend this resource to the public through a diverse menu of programs throughout the year.

The name Ox-Bow House acknowledges the legacy of this historic building as a place for community and celebrates the idea that our house will be a charming place to stimulate learning and exploration. Currently the space is home to our head office, a small gallery, retail, public programming space, and our archives.

Over 2022-2024, Chicagobased architect Charlie Vinz (Adaptive Operations) is our architect-in-residence, researching the site and developing an adaptive-reuse plan for the building. Vinz is well known for his work with artists and cultural organizations on adaptive-reuse design, applying a sustainability lens to architecture. Vinz will have studio hours while in residence where the public can interface with his process. A suite of programs about sustainability in architecture and design, including workshops, lectures, a symposium, and a publication, will be programmed throughout Vinz’s residency.