The Bowers Museum is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Tianlong Jiao as its new Chief Curator, commencing this December. With over two decades of distinguished experience in museum curation and administration, both in the United States and Hong Kong, Dr. Tianlong Jiao is poised to help usher the Museum into anew era of innovative exhibitions and international collaborations alongside Bowers Museum’s recently appointed President, Dr. Seán O’Harrow, who joined the Bowers last August.
Dr. Tianlong Jiao’s illustrious career spans roles as the Head Curator at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Head and Curator of the Asian Art Department at the Denver Art Museum, Head and Curator of the Chinese Art Department at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and Chairman of the Anthropology Department at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, among others.
At Bowers Museum, Dr. Jiao will manage the esteemed permanent collection, guiding its travel, helming new acquisitions, and refreshing onsite permanent galleries. A special emphasis will be placed under his stewardship on Asian featured exhibitions, a domain in which Bowers Museum has historically excelled in. “I am thrilled to join the Bowers Museum family! The museum’s world-class exhibitions and collections have been a great inspiration to me, and I look forward to contributing to the future of this “Best Museum” in Orange County.” – Dr. Tianlong Jiao. Dr. Tianlong Jiao holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard, an M.A. in archaeology from the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, and a B.A. in archaeology from Beijing University. Dr. Tianlong Jiao’s academic prowess is evident in his extensive research in Chinese archaeology, art history, Pacific archaeology, and Japanese ceramics. An author of seven books and over a hundred academic papers in both English and Chinese, Dr. Jiao was also the honored recipient of the Philip and Eugenia Cho Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Asian Studies in 2007 for book “The Neolithic of Southeast China” (Cambria
Press, 2007).
His most recent achievement includes editing the exhibition catalogue Grand Gallop: Art and Culture of the Horse at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which was awarded “Best Art and Design” at the 2023 Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards. This catalog was created in association with a special exhibition, showcasing horse culture and arts globally, which was undertaken as a team effort including Dr. Tianlong Jiao and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in partnership with the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Louvre in Paris. Dr. Jiao’s appointment marks a significant moment for the Bowers Museum. “With the recent addition of our new President and CEO, Dr. Seán O’Harrow, and now Tianlong Jiao, I see the promise of an exciting new era for our institution becoming reality” states Anne Shih, Chairwoman of the Board of Governors at Bowers Museum. “I am confident that Dr. Tianlong Jiao’s unparalleled curatorial expertise and experience, particularly in Asian and Pacific art, will prove vital to our future success as a museum with global connections. I look forward to working closely with him and our fantastic team on an array of exciting projects as we present exhibitions that engage our communities and are relevant to the public.” – Dr. Seán O’Harrow
For more information about the Bowers Museum and its upcoming exhibitions, please visit bowers.org.
About Bowers Museum:
Located in the historic heart of Orange County, Bowers Museum’s 8 permanent collection exhibitions showcase art and artifacts from cultures around the world. As the largest and one of the oldest museums in Orange County, Bowers has been voted ‘Best Museum’ in Orange County for the past 30 years(as of 2023). Partnering with world-class institutions, Bowers Museum’s past featured exhibitions include blockbusters such as Terracotta Warriors; Mummies: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt…Treasures from the British Museum; Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasure of Ethiopia; Holy Land: Dead Sea Scrolls, House of David Inscription; and Guo Pei: Art of
Couture. Learn more at bowers.org.
Now on view, Bowers Museum’s fall/winter featured exhibitions include The Power of Photography and Beyond the Great Wave: Works by Hokusai from the British Museum. Learn more at bowers.org/Hokusai and bowers.org/photography.
