Marissa Reyes

Marissa Reyes is responsible for the strategic and creative leadership of the museum's full range of programs, including school partnerships, lectures and gallery talks, symposia, student tours and workshops, family days, late-night events, teen programs, and community engagement. Over the past 10 years at the MCA, Reyes has spearheaded important initiatives, such as the museum's award-winning S.P.A.C.E. (School Partnership for Art and Civic Engagement) and Teen Creative Agency (TCA) programs that continue to garner accolades for innovation. She also oversees programming in the Commons, the MCA's newly renovated space for learning and engagement that places artistic and civic exchange at the heart of the museum. Reyes leads a team that organizes programs, community meetings, and artist projects inside the Commons, meant to encourage dialogue and interaction among visitors, artists, and communities. Previously, she was Associate Director of Programs at Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education, where she developed an integrated program of artist residencies and teacher professional development in Chicago Public Schools. Reyes frequently serves as a panelist, grant reviewer, and curriculum adviser on art and museum education locally and nationally. She is the recipient of the 2014 Illinois Museum Educator of the Year Award.