QUYNH-MAI NGUYEN
partner + creative director + community engagement director + social practice artist | she / her / chị / em
Quynh-Mai Nguyen (sounds like gwin my win) is a multidisciplinary social practice artist, poet, musician, community organizer, curator, and creative producer with experience leading projects that focus on story-telling and building cultural awareness around the narratives of women, AAPI, people of color, and other underrepresented minority groups. In 2018, KQED Arts Bay Brilliant named her one of 10 recognized movement builders for arts and culture in the Bay Area.
She has participated in the cultural arts sector for over 13 years with past experiences as a production assistant for Giant Creative and Left Coast Live Music Festival, organizer for TEDxSanJoseCA, executive producer for Sonido Clash Music Fest, graphic designer for Sonido Clash, co-producer for All-Womxn's Showcase, art director and graphic designer for Kooltura Marketing, producer for ImagineSJ Showcase, producer and marketing consultant for Silicon Valley De-Bug, and web/graphic designer and consultant for the County of Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
Nguyen holds a Bachelors in Advertising (creative track) and Graphic Design from San José State University. She is an 8 80 Cities and Knight Foundation 2020 Emerging City Champion for San José and is also an alumni to the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute, a leadership network of artists and arts administrators of color.
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2024 – Honored with a Certificate of Recognition for Nguyen’s extraordinary leadership in Bay Area arts and cultural programs
2022 - Anti Hate Mini-Grant, Division of Equity and Social Justice of the County of Santa Clara
2020 – Honored as K880 Emerging City Champion in recognition for Nguyen’s emerging leadership in San José, CA
2019 - Creative Industries Incentive Fund, Round 8, Cultural Center of Innovation
2019 - Creative Industries Incentive Fund, Round 7, Cultural Center of Innovation
2018 – Honored as KQED Arts Bay Brilliant in recognition of Nguyen’s movement building and community work in the South Bay
2018 - Creative Industries Incentive Fund, Round 6, Cultural Center of Innovation
2018 - Small Arts Grant, Fleishhacker Foundation
2016 - California Presenters' All California Leadership Program Scholarship
2014 - Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute Mini Grant
2013 - Willie Mac Coaches Award
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2018 - Present - Curator for Lunar - a Lunar New Year Art Exhibition and Pop-Up Gallery
2022 - 2023- Advisory Committee Member for Cultural Work of Poetry: A Reading, Writing, and Community Discussion Series
2023 - Present- AAPI Caucaus, American Leadership Forum
2020 - 2021 - K 880 Emerging City Champions Fellowship (San Jose), K 880 and Knight Foundation
2018 - KQED Arts’ Bay Brilliant
2017 - Present - Senior Fellow, Urbanization Class XL, American Leadership Forum
2016 - 2017, California Presenters' All California Leadership Program
2013 - Present - Class 7 Alumni, Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute
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