Meet Juliana Forero

We recently connected with Juliana Forero and have shared our conversation below.

Juliana, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Leaving my country in my early twenties, and living in five different cities before setting roots in South Florida taught me the importance of adaptability and provided me with the understanding that change is permanent and inevitable. Through the years resiliency has been present as I welcome opportunities and navigate challenges, it centers my perception and helps me focus my priorities. As my family grew and people depended on my decisions, I became more cautious and selective on the projects that I worked on. Having said this, resilience is present on day-to-day troubleshooting, helping me face these challenges head-on. Sometimes it feels that resiliency is that muscle that was always worked out!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m currently the Museum Director and Curator for the Coral Springs Museum of Art, I’m also the founder of Nomad Art Projects, where as Independent Curator I collaborate with other cultural organizations as cultural producer. I’ve trained as an artist from a young age, graduating with a BFA from Universidad de los Andes. This training helps me understand the creative process and it’s key in my curatorial practice.

Moving to the South Florida in the early 2000s, I found myself very curious about the management side of the arts and after a few years of graduate school I received my MA and PhD in Arts Administration and Arts Education. My career has included exciting opportunities in New York, and Houston and now that I’m back in South Florida, I bring 20 years of experience in my portfolio and I’m ready for what is next!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Through the years I’ve learned that the most important quality is to know yourself, honor your roots, and trust the universe. Part of growing up is the perceived need to fit-in and seek approval by fitting into a mold, and being in the creative world there’s the realization that there is not a clear mold. As I grew older I’ve realized I’m that people seeking my opinions were interested in my point on view, because of the experience and knowledge I’ve gathered in my career. Perhaps maturity is realizing that there is no mold, after all. And that seeking deeper and honoring our roots is key when we seek focus and purpose. I’ve also learned that when a door closes, I trust the process because I know other doors open up with better and brighter opportunities.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

Thinking recently about my youth I realized that my parents rarely told me “no”. As Gen X, I was left to explore the world and to learn from my mistakes, sometimes I think about this in awe. I remember I would come home with a crazy question asking for their permission and after some conversation I was then allowed to go off onto a new adventure.

In the realm of culture, my childhood was filled with culture as my family had multiple members that were artists starting with my grandfather. In my childhood I learned about Frida Kahlo’s artworks and life story before she became mainstream, she was my aunt’s favorite artist. Growing up I helped in my parents’ graphic arts and printing company, being exposed to different tools of graphic design playing with Letraset and Clip Art books (some cool things before Photoshop). Later on, I worked there as graphic designer and photographer during the college summer months.

My parents encouraged and welcomed my creative path, always curious about the next step. They provided me with the freedom to learn from my mistakes.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

– Personal Photo: Coral Springs Museum of Art/City of Coral Springs
– Additional Photo: No credits

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