About

Patricia Cariño Valdez is an independent art advisor and curator based in Northeast Los Angeles. She holds an MA in Curatorial Practice from California College of the Arts and a BA in History of Art from UC Berkeley.

Patricia works with people who have built beautiful, intentional lives and want art that belongs in them. Most of her clients already have a strong eye for every other part of their world. What they want is someone who can help them trust that eye when it comes to art and who can handle the relationships, studio visits, and logistics that turn a feeling into a collection.

She brings fifteen years of experience in the field to that work. She has worked across institutions, including the Oakland Museum of California, the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Exploratorium, as well as within leading Los Angeles galleries, including Various Small Fires and Shulamit Nazarian. She currently serves as Director of Collections for the Olivia Collection and Foundation, overseeing hundreds of artworks across Los Angeles and Mexico City. She writes Beautiful Odd Things Always (BOTA), a publication about collecting with intention and the artists she is following.

As founder of Cariño Art Advisory, Patricia focuses on living contemporary artists and the kind of work you can still follow closely: visiting the studio, meeting the maker, and watching a practice develop. Her advisory model is built on a fiduciary structure, so her guidance answers to the client and the artist, not to a price tag.

Patricia is based in Northeast Los Angeles and works with clients across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and beyond.

  • "Between Us" at Olivia Foundation, Mexico City

  • "Midnight Murmur" at Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles

  • "Suspended Matter" at Berkeley Art Center

  • "Woman in a Rowboat" at Olivia Foundation, Mexico City

  • "Super Sarap" at Asia Society, Houston, Texas

  • "Talk to Me" with Samuel Levi Jones at Pro Arts, Oakland

Current Work

Collection Management and Cultural Stewardship

Director of Collections, Olivia Collection and Foundation (2023–Present) I oversee a museum-quality collection of hundreds of artworks across multiple properties in Los Angeles and Mexico City. This role encompasses everything I offer private clients: professional cataloging and documentation, exhibition coordination across private residences, conservation oversight, and cultural programming development.

Recent exhibitions I've organized include:

  • Between Us (2024) - Inaugural exhibition at Olivia Foundation, Mexico City, curated by Diana Nawi

  • Woman in a Rowboat (2024) - Collection presentation highlighting abstract art from post-war to contemporary, curated by Diana Nawi

Private Collection Consulting (2021–Present) I work with discerning collectors to build meaningful, lasting collections through comprehensive guidance, strategic acquisitions, and ongoing stewardship. My clients range from professionals building their first serious collections to established collectors seeking curatorial insight for growth and refinement.


Professional Background

Art World Experience

Programming Director, Various Small Fires, Los Angeles (2022) Managed relationships with represented artists, coordinated exhibition planning and art fair participation, and guided collection development strategies for the gallery's collector base.

Sales Associate & Artist Liaison, Shulamit Nazarian (Nazarian/Curcio), Los Angeles (2021–2022) Developed understanding of the commercial art market while stewarding relationships with artists and collectors. Led curatorial efforts for group exhibitions, including Midnight Murmurs, featuring new relationships with Asian/Asian-American artists.

Public Engagement Program Developer, Oakland Museum of California (2018–2021) Researched, developed, and executed large-scale public programs that amplified exhibitions and contributed directly to the museum's cultural impact. Notable projects included Exploring Public Art Practice, a day-long conference sponsored by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

Curator & Director of Public Programs, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (2016–2018) Proposed, researched, and oversaw 10-12 contemporary art exhibitions annually while developing comprehensive public programming, including artist lectures, professional development workshops, and performance initiatives.

Select Curatorial Projects

Independent Exhibitions

Suspended Matter | Berkeley Art Center | 2021-2022
Curated by Patricia Cariño Valdez
Group exhibition examining the sentiments and materiality of unsettled times, featuring Julia Goodman, Asma Kazmi, Laura Arminda Kingsley, and Jenifer K Wofford.

Super Sarap | Asia Society Houston | 2019
Second iteration, first at Gallery 6/67 Santa Ana, 2018
Groundbreaking exhibition exploring Filipino cuisine and culture through contemporary art, the first Filipino-American exhibition at Asia Society Texas. Featured work by Mik Gaspay, Jeanne F. Jalandoni, O.M. France Viana, and Charlene Tan.

DIALECTS | Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco | 2019
Soundwave 9 Performance Festival
Collaborative performance project with artist Szu-Han Ho exploring sounds, songs, and stories about migration and displacement.

Samuel Levi Jones: Talk to Me | Pro Arts Oakland | 2015 new site-specific installation

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (2016-2018)

  • Sonic Futures - Group exhibition centered on sound and music elements

  • Next New Games - Exploration of games as artistic practice

  • On Your Left - Cultural significance of the bicycle as transportation and art object

  • Oliver Lee Jackson: Composed Works 1984-2016 - Major retrospective of the Oakland-based artist Oliver Lee Jackson

  • Julia Anne Goodman: Unearthed - site-specific installation with satellite exhibition at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

Recognition & Speaking

Leadership & Advisory Roles

  • Public Art Advisory Committee, Oakland, CA (2017–2020) - Appointed by Mayor, approved by City Council

  • Advisory Board Member, Emerging Arts Professionals San Francisco/Bay Area (2016–2018)


Speaking & Education

  • Guest Lecturer: Stanford University, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Arizona State University

  • Selection Panelist: San Francisco Arts Commission public art projects

  • Juror: Various institutional exhibitions and scholarship programs

Press & Recognition

  • Featured in Berkeleyside, Houston Chronicle, LA Times, Daily Serving

  • Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive, Manila 2016

Education & Personal Note

Master of Arts in Curatorial Practice | California College of the Arts, San Francisco | 2014
Honors: Diversity Scholarship, CCA General Scholarship, Student Travel Grant

Bachelor of Arts in History of Art | University of California, Berkeley | 2010