Wing Luke Museum executive director steps down following ‘Hate’ exhibit

Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum in the Chinatown-International District will be seeing a change of leadership.

Wing Luke Museum’s executive director Joël Barraquiel Tan is stepping down, the museum announced via a press release on Friday.

“This decision comes after careful reflection,” the release stated.

Past exhibits: Museum features history of Seattle segregation and redlining

According to Wing Luke, Barraquiel Tan joined the museum as executive director in April 2022. During his nearly two-and-a-half years, the museum said he uplifted voices of the Asian American, Native Hawaiin and Pacific Islander communities through “vivid storytelling and inspiring exhibits that advance racial and social equity.”

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together and our work to expand our understanding of arts and culture as core to individual and community well-being,” Barraquiel Tan said.

Barraquiel Tan has 30 years of leadership experience, according to the museum, earning a BA from the University of California, Berkley, an MFA from Antioch University and an MFT from Northcentral University.

However, in May, the museum received pushback for an exhibit called ‘Confronting Hate,’ leading to a staff walkout.

About two dozen employees protested the exhibit, saying in a social media post that a portion of the exhibit “shares perspectives from The Washington State Jewish Historical Society that conflate anti-Zionism as antisemitism.” That same slide in the post added, “Despite making a revision after learning of the staff’s concerns (after the May 14 media preview of the exhibit), the edits made still conveyed Zionist perspectives.”

The social media posts stated that 26 members of the Wing Luke staff signed a letter outlining a list of demands. The museum was then closed for a period of time and the exhibit is not listed on Wing Luke’s website.

More details: Wing Luke Museum closes after employees walk out in protest of ‘Hate’ exhibit

Before moving from Hawaii to Washington for the job, Barraquiel Tan told The Seattle Times the curiosity sparked by the arts was important “to fight systematic and targeted violence and hate.”

Now, according to the museum’s press release, Barraquiel Tan is moving on to work on different projects.

“I believe that the organization is well-positioned for continued success,” he said. “While it was a difficult decision to make, I feel that this is the right time for me to explore new directions and opportunities.”

The museum said its Board of Trustees will soon start a search for a new executive director and an interim will be named in the meantime.

Contributing: Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.