9th Washington Women’s Dialogue

We face numerous social challenges to truly achieve a society that women can actively and inclusively participate in. Particularly aiming to develop and expand Asian women’s presence in global leadership roles in business, government, political, and social activities, JSIE hosts “Washington Women’s Dialogue” (WWD) featuring prominent female role models in various sectors, who would share their life experience. WWD offers opportunities to frankly discuss various issues on social and international challenges and learn how to overcome such challenges. The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation is co-hosting this event series.

A Conversation with Dr. Dorothy Kosinski and Ms. Shigeko Bork

At the 9th WWD, we welcomed Dr. Dorothy Kosinski, Director of The Phillips Collection and Ms. Shigeko Bork, Founder of Shigeko Bork mu project.

The Phillips Collection is a gem of Washington D.C., and is America’s first modern art museum. Dr. Kosinski has been the director of The Phillips Collection since 2008, and has actively taking innovative approaches for promoting modern art and culture. She made the Phillips Collection one of the most popular modern art museums with her entrepreneurial spirit and extensive experience in curator in various museums in the world. Ms. Bork is an entrepreneur and had launched Asian contemporary art gallery in Georgetown in 2004 – a project dedicated to presenting contemporary art from Asia to the Washington area audience. Her exhibits were well received and her clients included the wife of the former US vice president and other VIPs. After making a great success, Shigeko pursues art consultancy and life-coaching activities. In 2016, she published her first book “Being you” in which she talks about her experience as a business owner in D.C.

Dr. Kosinski and Ms. Bork kindly shared their perspectives in modern art and career paths and experience in the art industry as well as tips to a success.

Dr. Dorothy Kosinski

Dorothy Kosinski has been the director of The Phillips Collection since 2008.  Dr. Kosinski is energized and inspired by founder Duncan Phillips’s vision for “an intimate museum combined with an experiment station.” She is the former senior curator of painting and sculpture at the Dallas Museum of Art, and served earlier as an independent curator for the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the Kunstmuseum Basel, and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Dr. Kosinski has written and published widely in numerous catalogues and books, as well as many art magazines. She regularly participates in scholarly lectures and has extensive teaching experience at the university level. She received her MA and PhD degrees from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and her BA from Yale University.

Ms. Shigeko Bork

The vibrant, burgeoning contemporary art atmosphere in London inspired her to launch Shigeko Bork mu project in Georgetown in 2004 – a project dedicated to presenting contemporary art from Asia to the Washington area audience. Shigeko Bork mu project specialized in Asian contemporary art. Her exhibits were well received and positively reviewed in the Washington Post and covered in art magazines, including Artnews. Clients include the wife of the former US vice president, Piggozi collection, and other VIPs. In addition to her interest in contemporary Asian art, she is the founder and director of askshigeko.com, a featured columnist in “Sakura” a local Japanese language newspaper, and has launched a new business as a certified life coach. Her first book “Being you”「誰だってなりたい自分になれる」in which she talks about her experience as a business owner in DC was published in Aug. 2016. Ms. Bork received M.A. in Post War and Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.