Maggi Owens

Curator for the Permanent Art Collection at Chapman University

Excerpt from Coast Magazine, November 2005
While most universities have a gallery program, Chapman has taken it's commitment to art even further thanks to the dedicated leadership of Maggi Owens, university curator and co-director of the campus's Guggenheim Gallery.  In 2000, Owens proposed an idea to Doti to create a permanent art collection of established and emerging contemporary artists as an added legacy for Chapman- not only for the cultural enrichment of its students and the Orange County community, but also to provide another opportunity for collectors and philanthropists to make their mark by contributing works of art to the university.  The project was then launched at a lunch gathering of community art professinals and supporters; and two years later Chapman's fund for fine art acquisitions was established with a lead gift honoring Tyler Stallings, Laguna Art Museum curator, plus additional donations from longtime Chapman supporters Ross and Phyllis Escalette and Dorothy Kennedy.

"The permanent collection has been a labor of love for me," says Owens "and such an exciting part of my 16 years at Chapman.  I think the growth of this collection and the expanded presence of art will only deepen the culture of this unique university."

Excerpt from Orange Coast Magazine, September 2005
When Maggi Owens hit the job market, an art career seemed impractical. Instead she entered the business world, where more lucrative prospects seemed to await. Yet art was never far from her thoughts, and it wasn't long before the Newport Beach resident decided to follow her heart and enrolled at the University of California, Irvine to pursue her lifelong passion. She earned a bachelor's in studio art in 1980, another in art history in 1988, and a master's degree from California State University, Fullerton in 1995. Today, Owens says she truly enjoys her position as co-director and curator for the Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University, where she began as a volunteer 15 years ago.

"My job is rarely the same on a daily basis," she says. "Sometimes it is dealing with paperwork, meetings on and off campus, studio and gallery visits, installations, research, and some travel." Owens is serious about the gallery's desire to choose artists and exhibitions that question artistic and social issues; that are timely and provocative; and cross cultural, professional, and organizational boundaries.  

“Working with Maggi Owens, our university curator, these past several years has been an absolute pleasure. She has worked tirelessly to bring impressive works to Chapman University and her dedication has resulted in making Chapman not just a place of learning, but also a cultural center. Her remarkable efforts have resulted in the compiling of a world-class permanent art collection that benefits both the student body and the community at large.”

Hamid Shirvani, Ph.D., FASLA, FRSA, FRGS
Provost and Executive Vice President
Martha Masters Professor of Art and Architecture
Chapman University