The Vilcek Foundation mourns the passing of Jung Lee Sanders—a longtime friend of the foundation and a member of our Board of Directors since 2022. Jung Lee was a luminary: She took on every project with grace and thoughtfulness. She will be dearly missed, and we take this opportunity to remember her beautiful spirit and bold work both in the arts and in philanthropy.
Jung Lee Sanders: Curator and Mentor
The Vilcek Foundation first began working with Jung Lee in 2008, when foundation President Rick Kinsel invited her to curate the inaugural exhibition in our headquarters on East 73rd Street. The exhibition, Il Lee and Pouran Jinchi, marked the Vilcek Foundation’s first in a series of exciting exhibitions highlighting immigrant artists and creators.
“Jung’s guiding philosophy was that a curator’s responsibility is—first and foremost—to the artist: That the focus of an exhibition shouldn’t be about simply showing or selling an artist’s work, but to make meaningful connections on the artist’s behalf. To use every resource you have as a curator and conduit to get to know the artist and their work, and to share that with the world,.” Kinsel recalls. “Her philosophy and mentorship has had a profound influence on my own work and has shaped the foundation’s art initiatives over the past 20 years.”
A curator and scholar with a vision
Born in South Korea, Sanders attended schools in Seoul, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. After graduating from Epsom School of Art and Design, Sanders came to New York and received her Master’s in Interior and Environmental Design from Pratt Institute. With this robust skill set, Sanders applied herself to interior and architectural design projects with various firms in New York and Seoul.
Sanders returned to the United States to pursue her PhD at NYU in the arts and humanities. While in the interdisciplinary program, she focused her studies on the development of 20th century American art museums in relation to institutional purpose and function. While completing her PhD, she recognized a need for a gallery and institution in New York to specialize and focus on supporting contemporary artists from Asia: It was this initiative that spurred her to establish Art Projects International in 1993. The gallery was the first to specialize in work by contemporary Asian artists. Its continued endurance and renown are a testament to Sanders’ curatorial leadership.
“As an immigrant, a woman, and a scholar of art history and museum studies, Jung identified the need to create a platform for immigrant artists—a mission that resonated deeply for Jan and myself,” says Vilcek Foundation Cofounder Marica Vilcek. “What she did was nothing short of phenomenal, but it is also the experience of so many other immigrants: Guided by vision and insight, she built the platform herself, lifting others up along the way.”
Located on Greenwich St. at Vestry St. in Tribeca, Art Projects International celebrated its 30th anniversary last year with a robust group exhibition featuring works by various artists it worked with over the years.
A lasting legacy
Sanders joined the Board of Directors of the Vilcek Foundation in 2022, and has had a remarkably positive impact on the foundation’s initiatives since. In 2023, she championed support for the Asia Art Archive in America, based in Brooklyn Heights. The grant was approved enthusiastically and unanimously by the foundation’s board.
We embrace Jung Lee’s spirit and initiative, and we honor her memory and legacy at this sorrowful time.