Yong Soon Min Memorial Fund Reaches Endowment Goal

Endowed fund honors the late artist and professor while supporting future generations of UC Irvine graduate students

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine has successfully reached the $50,000 goal to establish the Yong Soon Min Endowed Memorial Fund, ensuring lasting support for graduate students in the Department of Art while honoring the legacy of the late artist, activist and UC Irvine Professor Emerita Yong Soon Min (1953–2024).

Established by friends, family and former students, the endowed fund will provide financial support for graduate student research and public programming aligned with Min’s lifelong commitment to artistic inquiry, social justice and transnational dialogue.

A distinguished member of the UC Irvine faculty from 1993 to 2014, Min was widely respected for her interdisciplinary artistic practice, influential teaching and dedication to building artistic and scholarly communities across borders.

"Yong Soon Min had a profound impact during her 21 years in the Department of Art," said Kevin Appel, chair of the Department of Art. “She pushed students to draw from their own lived experience, not just as subject matter, but as a way into larger social and cultural questions. Her teaching emphasized critical thinking, experimentation, and a deeply grounded ethical commitment to making. That influence continues to resonate across generations of students, and this endowment helps carry forward what she cared about most.”

Min’s work explored themes of diaspora, migration, war and the lasting impacts of colonialism, often focusing on overlooked histories and marginalized communities. Known for her photo-based works and large-scale installations, her practice examined the relationship between the personal and the political while highlighting strategies of resistance and survival among historically underrepresented groups.

Beyond her artistic practice, Min was deeply committed to mentorship and community building. During her tenure at UC Irvine, she helped shape the department’s graduate curriculum, served as department chair during a key period of growth, and contributed to interdisciplinary programs including Asian American Studies and the Critical Theory Emphasis.

“I am honored and proud that the UC Irvine community has coalesced to support the legacy of Professor Emerita Yong Soon Min,” said Steven Lam, dean and the Kraus Family Endowed Chair in Art at CalArts, and a former student of Yong Soon Min. “She was a devoted mentor and supporter of her students, and insisted that each generation meet other former students and mentees. Her work and practice created a circle linking all of us together. This scholarship fund will not only honor her name but help continue her circle at UCI, so new students can be part of Yong Soon Min’s legacy.”

The effort to establish the endowment was catalyzed by Lam, whose experience as Min’s student left a profound mark on his artistic and professional path. Recognizing the impact Min had on him and others, Lam proposed creating the fund to honor her legacy, inspiring the community to come together to support graduate students in the Department of Art.

At UC Irvine and beyond, Min was known not only for her scholarship and artistic achievements but for her generosity and lasting personal impact on students and colleagues.

“Our aunt leaves a legacy of community-building and generosity,” said Emily Min and Jennifer Kuo, Yong Soon Min's nieces. “It is our honor and privilege to be a part of that legacy. We hope this endowment will be instrumental in ensuring that future generations of artists know of her art, amazing life and activism.”

Yong Soon Min’s nieces, Emily Min and Jennifer Kuo, had previously contributed to the fund and ultimately made a matching gift to help ensure the endowment reached its $50,000 goal to preserve their aunt’s legacy.

The Yong Soon Min Endowed Memorial Fund ensures that her legacy will continue to shape future generations of artists through financial support, mentorship opportunities and programming that reflects her commitment to critical inquiry and global artistic exchange.

To learn more about the Department of Art, visit art.arts.uci.edu. To learn more about Yong Soon Min, visit yongsoonmin.com.