The Cynthia Tom papers consist of material donated by artist, curator, and community artist activist Cynthia Tom. As an arts administrator she is founder and director of Place of Her Own, an arts-based healing and transformation program for women. She also was board president and director of development and programs for the San Francisco-based Asian American Women's Association whose mission is to advance the visibility and recognition of Asian American women in the arts through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. A third generation Chinese American and native of San Francisco, she is an award-winning cultural activist who advocates for social justice for women. As a painter she works with mixed media and installation art work, her widely exhibited artwork often being described as cultural and social surrealism. She has curated individual and group exhibitions, and also is a lecturer on such topics as feminism in the arts and Asian American women in the arts. Tom is currently based in San Rafael, California. The Cynthia Tom papers consist of visual images of her artwork, flyers, promotional material, exhibition files, organizational files, correspondence, interviews, and additional ephemera dating from 1990-2017.

"Cynthia Tom uses visual art as a means to transform our souls. She is a visual mixed-media artist, painter and curator who likes to play with the accepted norm, tossing non-verbal questions into the air for our consideration. Her art is known as a source of inspiration for healing, empowerment, spirituality and change, fostering dialog and building community in innovative ways. As a Cultural Curator and Community Art Activist, she is dedicated to artistically integrating cultural roots and community needs to drive Social Change on a heart level.

3.30 Linear Feet (3 document boxes, 1 oversize flat-box)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

This collection is open for research.