Clark Silva - About
Clark Silva is a curator and researcher connecting art, history, and popular culture to the public through narrative exhibitions with a focus on American pop culture, art, and storytelling. He has worked in varied aspects of the museum field, from curation, research and writing, to collections management, exhibition design and installation. Clark received a BFA in Illustration and an MA in Art History from California State University, Fullerton, focusing on museums and exhibitions. While in school he worked on cataloging the permanent collection of the Nicholas and Lee Begovich Gallery, and curating, researching, and supporting exhibitions for the Pollak Library on campus. He worked as an exhibition specialist for the MUZEO Museum & Cultural Center in Anaheim, California, working on numerous exhibitions, including the popular Houdini Unchained: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini.
Born and raised in Chula Vista, Clark grew up in a Portuguese family surrounded by the diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Southern California. Raised by parents who encouraged art and education, he spent his young life immersed in the museums and galleries of Balboa Park and San Diego. Family trips were to place such as Boston, New York City, Detroit, and Washington DC. His family also loved theme parks, with frequent trips to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. As he entered the academic field, those experiences with Disney, illustration, and pop culture shaped his educational and curatorial focus. He is especially interested in the hidden and untold stories of people behind popular culture, including the histories and contributions of LGBT individuals on American culture and art.
