The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) in California has named Vivian Zavataro as its next executive director. She will begin in the role on October 1.
Zavataro succeeds Drew Oberjuerge, who served in the top job for more than 13 years and left in June 2025. “The Riverside Art Museum has grown from a beloved community museum into a dynamic cultural institution with an international presence,” RAM board president Patricia Reynolds said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud of the vision, commitment, and collaboration that have brought us to this moment, and excited about what lies ahead with Vivian as our new director.”
As director of RAM, Zavataro will also oversee the artistic direction of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Arts and Culture, which Oberjuerge spearheaded. Maria Esther Fernández departed her role as the inaugural artistic director of the Cheech in August 2025. A release notes that Zavataro will continue the Cheech’s approach of having guest curators organize its temporary exhibitions.
“Riverside Art Museum has come a long way, and The Cheech has become a big part of that story,” Cheech Marin, whose collection forms the basis of the Cheech, said in a statement. “But the best part is that we’re still building. Vivian understands artists, she understands museums, and she understands the importance of bringing people together. I’m looking forward to having her on board and seeing what the next chapter looks like.”
Zavataro is currently the executive and creative director of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University in Kansas. She previously served as executive director and chief curator of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Her curatorial credits include exhibitions for Justin Favela and Guillermo Bert, as well as projects with Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Kiara Aileen Machado, and Edi Rama. At the Lilly Museum, she also organized the 2021–22 exhibition “En Medio | Senses of Migration.”
Zavataro is also a PhD candidate at the University of Reading in England, with a dissertation focused on museum audience engagement. She holds master’s degrees in museum studies from the University of Amsterdam and in curating from Zurich University of the Arts.
“I am honored to join the Riverside Art Museum at such a pivotal moment,” Zavataro said in a statement. “These are places where art, community, and culture meet in ways that feel urgent and alive. I look forward to working alongside the team, board, artists, guest curators, and the broader Riverside and Inland Empire communities to expand this organization’s impact and make sure its programs reflect and celebrate the people it serves.”
