Evelyn Orantes has dedicated over two decades of her professional career to creating experiences in museums and informal settings that connect people and celebrate the uniqueness and commonalities of communities. Her consulting approach is informed by her commitment to equity and diversity and by her bilingual and bicultural experiences. Evelyn’s process emphasizes collaborative, visitor/user centered, accessible, inclusive and participatory practices. She has gained recognition in the museum field for community driven projects. These projects are designed through co-creation and bridge a wide array of disparate stakeholders to create compelling exhibitions and programs in and out of museums.

Evelyn has held consulting positions at the Oakland Museum of California and Levine Museum of the New South (Charlotte, NC), where she consulted in the development of the award-winning exhibition İNUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South. Her recent collaborations include projects at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Unity Council in Oakland, Argus Design, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC and New York, NY. She has served on various boards of directors and committees including the City of Oakland Public Art Advisory Committee, Chicana Latina Foundation, Galeria de la Raza, and others. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Berkeley.

Evelyn values not only being in service to her community but also being an integral part of that community. She has volunteered as an advisor to the Oakland Ballet’s Luna Mexicana Committee and has served on the City of Oakland’s Public Art Committee. She shares her expertise with emerging museum professionals as a regular guest presenter at the JFK University, Museum Studies program and presents at numerous conferences. Evelyn is a participant in MASS Action, a platform for public dialogues and issues affecting our communities locally and globally, leading to actionable practices for greater equity and inclusion in our institutions. She co-authored Sharing Authority: Creating Content and Experiences, a chapter in the MASS Action toolkit.

Evelyn Orantes offers customized consulting services based on the needs and goals of her clients. She specializes in providing guidance and services in the following areas:

Community Curation

Works in collaboration with curators and project teams to integrate community voice in the exhibition development process.

Co-Creation

Offers creative direction in the conception, planning and development of co-creation projects, programs and exhibits with coaching support during implementation.

Experience Development

Works with education and visitor service teams to develop, plan, and implement visitor-centered staff and volunteer training that fosters a welcoming and engaging museum experience for diverse audiences.

Program development

Works in collaboration with staff to conceive, plan, develop, and implement art education and cultural arts programs for diverse and bilingual (English/Spanish), family, and youth, audiences in conjunction with the museum’s collection and exhibitions.

Prior to working as a consultant, Ms. Orantes worked seventeen years at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) where she held various roles in the Education Department and later in the Lab Center (curatorial and experience design). During her tenure, she focused on fostering exhibitions, educational programs, and events centered on meaningful and relevant community engagement for diverse, multilingual, audiences.

Evelyn Orantes
Evelyn Orantes Consulting
395 Palm Avenue, #8
Oakland, CA 94610
510 708-5416 phone
eorantes.consulting@gmail.com

Download Evelyn Orantes’ Resume here