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Ileana Yordan-Cuevas
Instructor, Arts Leadership Program

Ileana Yordan-Cuevas is an arts administrator with a career spanning diverse sectors of the arts industry. With a decade of experience in public art, gallery management, non-profit, and artist residency program development, her professional background reflects a dedication to creating opportunities for artists and communities to engage with the visual arts. 

Currently serving as Program Manager at the Public Art University of Houston System (Public Art UHS), Yordan-Cuevas oversees the organization's day-to-day operations, which encompass contract and fiscal management, strategic communications, and the development of its public programs, exhibitions, and temporary public art projects. These initiatives involve activations of its diverse permanent collection, as well as collaboration with esteemed local, regional, and international artists, including figures such as Andy Warhol, Shahzia Sikander, Jorge Pardo, and others. 

Before transitioning into the public art field, she served as the Gallery Manager of Catherine Couturier Gallery and Exhibitons Manager of the Òlàjú Art Group, an international non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting emerging contemporary African art across Texas. Subsequently, she spearheaded an innovative artist residency program that fostered community involvement and creative placemaking through artist-led programs and site-specific projects. 

She holds a M.A. in Arts Leadership from the University of Houston and a B.A. in International Business with an emphasis in Art History from St. Edward's University, which was complemented by global education studying abroad on a ship-based, multi-country program known as Semester at Sea.