Alana Hernandez Named Executive Director and Curator of CALA Alliance

CALA Alliance has named Alana Hernandez executive director and curator.

She began the new role on March 1.

“The entire board is excited to welcome Alana into her new role,” said Ruben Alvarez, CALA Alliance board chair. “Hernandez brings strong credentials and a prestigious work history. We look forward to taking CALA to the next level.”

Hernandez comes to CALA from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, where she served as assistant curator. During her tenure at MCASD, her exhibitions and programming focused on peripheral and ignored art histories, with particular attention paid to U.S. Latinx and artists from Latin America. Hernandez also spearheaded and developed new programmatic digital offerings for MCASD, including a series of artist talks titled the Charlas.

In this position, Hernandez is responsible for the overall strategic and operational aspects of CALA’s programs, fundraising and financial health, advancing CALA’s mission and vision. She will play an instrumental role in fostering Latinx artistic talent in the Metro-Phoenix region and beyond while strengthening cultural ties to the Americas.

“I am honored to lead CALA and its team in this new phase of its history. I look forward to strengthening and broadening the culturally relevant, dynamic programming CALA offers and merging our shared goals of expanding the cultural relevancy of U.S. Latinx and art from Latin America,” said Hernandez.

Hernandez has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Páramo, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; Hunter East Harlem Gallery, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Phoenix Art Museum; and BRIC Arts Media, Brooklyn. She received her M.A. from CUNY Hunter College, where she specialized in Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art.

To learn more, go to calaalliance.org.