Rachel was born in 1986 in Big Bear Lake, California and was raised the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She got her BA in art history from Colorado State University in 2011 and her MA in the history and theory of contemporary art from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2014. She has worked in galleries such as the Leon Gallery in Denver and is the former director of FFDG in San Francisco. She is currently the director of Rachel Ralph Gallery as well as the curator and project manager for Hear/Say, an annual exhibit with the University of Colorado School or Public Health.

Experience

RACHEL RALPH GALLERY, Denver, CO JUNE 2025-PRESENT

Director/Curator

• Built a gallery in a garage space in the East Colfax neighborhood of Denver

• Curated an artist roster representing artists worked with in the past and in the future

• Created website, social media, and public messaging to promote the gallery

• Hosts three openings a year due to the space not having heat

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Denver, CO JULY 2024-PRESENT

Curator/Project Manager

• Developed in-person training to online training for artists in upcoming years

• Created a call for entry for artists in Colorado

• Selected 10 artists which were then cut down to 4 with the help of a review team

• Curated, transported, installed 30 pieces of artwork in two separate exhibitions in Fort Collins, CO and Colorado Springs, CO

• Led panel discussions with artist and scientific experts

• Continues to work with the school for upcoming exhibitions in 2027 and beyond

SHADOW CONSULTING, Denver, CO JANUARY 2024 – JULY2024

Exhibition Coordinator

• Managed two art exhibitions led by the Colorado School of Public Health

• Coordinated artist training including travel, scheduling, speakers, and payments

• Supported directors and curators in scheduling, materials, and deadlines

• Managed graphic design team creating display panels and an exhibition catalog

• Coordinated installation and de-installation teams and schedules

• Managed opening and closing events including vendors and staff

NEVER SURRENDER SERVICES, Denver, CO NOVEMBER 2019 – PRESENT

Owner/Operator

• Owns and manages company working in painting, murals, and art handling

• Manages mural projects for hotels and restaurants primarily in California and Florida

• Handles all marketing, promotion, communication and budgeting

LEON GALLERY, Denver, CO  FEBRUARY 2020 – SEPTEMBER 2023

Board Member/Grant Writer

• Researched and wrote all grants for a small arts nonprofit

• Awarded $60k of funding within first year

• Developed public programming for grants, such as Art at the Crossroads, a collaboration with a local homeless shelter

• Fundraising event planning and coordination

DRAGON SCHOOL, Oakland, CA  OCTOBER 2018 – DECEMBER 2019

Grant Writer

• Grant writing for arts nonprofit

• Completed reports stretching several years back to allow for more grant applications

  
  

THINK THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY,  Vancouver, BC MARCH 2018 – APRIL 2019            

President, Board of Directors

• One of four founding members of registered nonprofit

• Helped grow board to gain more members

• Kept board on track to meet annual fundraising goals

• Developed new member onboarding process and documents

  
  

SF STATION, San Francisco, CA  SEPTEMBER 2017 - APRIL 2019

Writer

• Conducts interviews and writes short articles on art-related topics in the Bay Area

• Creatively critiques the area with subtle humor of the contemporary climate of the Bay

  
  

APPLE, INC., Cupertino, CA JUNE 2015 – AUGUST 2017

Closed Captioning Transcriptionist

• Consistently produced closed captions for Apple’s marketing and communications department – held to the highest standards of quality

• Extensive copyediting

• Weekly grammar lessons and discussions

• Fast and accurate typing with deep understanding of grammatical context

  
  

FFDG, San Francisco, CA   AUGUST 2014 – MARCH 2016

Director/Curator

• Owned and operated an art gallery specializing in contemporary painting, drawing and illustration

• Handled all operations including curation, hosting, customer service, sales, accounting, shipping, etc.

• Executed all marketing including developing press releases, price lists, and email communication

• Built a social media following of 13k

  
  

FECAL FACE DOT COM, San Francisco, CA AUGUST 2014 – MARCH 2016                                                   

Correspondent

• Was sole correspondent covering the San Francisco Bay Area

• Covered dozens of art shows, often several a week

• Conducted interviews with artists and curators

• Provided critique of exhibitions

• Highly-trafficked page with paid ads and subscription followers

Education

MASTERS OF ART | MAY 2014 | SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE

• Major: History and Theory of Contemporary Art with a focus on accessibility and skateboard graphics

• Related coursework: Writer and copy editor for Colloquy, published by SFAI. Completed and defended thesis.

BACHELORS OF ART | DECEMBER 2011| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

• Major: Art History

• Minor: Ethnic Studies

• Internships: Curatorial Intern, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and Curatorial Intern, Clara Hatton Gallery Colorado State University

ASSOCIATES OF ART | JULY 2009 | FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• Major: Art History

• Minor: Museum Studies