Alma Ruiz


Alma Ruiz is a curator, best known as a longtime, former senior curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Early life and education

Alma Ruiz was born and raised in Guatemala. At 19, she moved to Los Angeles to join her mother and brother, initially enrolling at Los Angeles City College, then transferring to the University of Southern California where she graduated with a degree in art history. She then pursued a graduate degree in Italian Language and Literature from the Middlebury College and Università di Firenze.

Career & Work

After earning her degree, Ruiz worked in Florence until 1982, then returned to Los Angeles and joined MOCA, initially as executive assistant to director Richard Koshalek. In 1989 she became exhibitions director at MOCA.
Ruiz's curatorial work focused on exhibitions of postwar artists, with an emphasis on emerging and Latin American artists. In 2016, she curated the 20 Bienal de Arte Paiz
in Guatemala City.

Reception

Her curated exhibitions have received numerous positive reviews. Recently, art critics Hunter Drohojowska-Philp and Edward Goldman praised her work for the solo exhibition of Magdalena Fernández at MOCA Pacific Design Center.

Exhibitions

Selected curation for the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles:
Additional exhibitions by Artists: