The School of the Art Institute of Chicago announced on Thursday that Jiseon Lee Isbara would be its next president, making her the second woman and first woman of color to lead the college. Lee Isbara, who was born in South Korea, is the provost of Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where she implemented a revision to the curriculum to better align teaching practices with student mental health and career readiness. The presidential search committee chair said that she was impressed by Jiseon's passion, dedication, and creativity as both a leader in higher education and as an artist. I am excited to see how she will benefit our community of students, faculty, and staff, as she will be a voice for the future of art education.
Lee Isbara holds a degree in textiles from the Ewha Womans University and a degree in fibers from Colorado State University. She held a number of positions at the Oregon College of Art and Craft during her time there. Lee Isbara appreciated SAIC's diversity, community of people, pedagogies, and goals. Lee Isbara said that she will work hard to advocate for the futures of students and celebrate the talents that SAIC staff and faculty have nurtured. In both national and international exhibits, Lee Isbara's textile work, which often addresses the complexity of current cultural discourse through the lens of her experiences as an immigrant of color, has been showcased. The term of Lee Isbara will begin on July 16.