Ana Gabriela Jiménez Devia

Exhibition Project Coordinator at The Clay Studio 

Nomination:

Nominated by I Belong Philly thanks to her work coordinating projects for the renovation of well-known Colombian museums, the production of exhibitions within cultural organizations, and her community support utilizing her bi-lingual language skills between English and Spanish. 

About Ana:

Ana Gabriela, originally from Colombia, never expected to become an architect, despite the fact that her parents were both architects and strong influences in her life. She also never thought she would settle down anywhere outside Colombia, despite pursuing her Masters in the Netherlands. Life would come to surprise her multiple times. She moved to Philadelphia when her husband decided to pursue his Ph.D. in 2018, where they ultimately decided to make their home.

"I know what profession I didn't want to pursue. It was architecture. And because life sometimes makes these kinds of jokes, I turned into an architect." – Ana Gabriela

She enjoys working with museums and exhibitions where she can contribute her expertise, communicate with people, and engage in projects that are meaningful to the community. She enjoys telling stories, especially about topics such as astronomy, the time before the Spanish arrived in America, how indigenous people worked with gold and silver, how they developed their unique cultures, and how people can trace their way of living. 

After completing her Master’s Degree and returning to Colombia, she worked at the Colombian Museum. She gave great performances and engaged in several projects by word of mouth. Soon thereafter, she completed the International Professional Program at The Welcoming Center and started looking for new opportunities. She was excited about the prospect of joining The Clay Studio as their exhibition project coordinator, a position that would allow her to share her experiences and identity with their audiences. A new Clay Studio venue is currently being built in South Kensington due to a prominent local Latin and Arabic community. She mentions that the Clay Studio wants to use new approaches to reach out to people in their neighborhood, and how they want to bring more cultural perspectives and open the conversation to the community.  

Although Ana Gabriela was confident in her decision to move to Philadelphia, she still faced many difficulties in her journey. In Colombia, she was at the peak of her career, backed with impressive projects, but in the US she had to begin as an intern in the local school district. It was a shocking contrast for her. Ana faced other common challenges that are often not discussed, such as how she could not convey her sense of humor in the same way when translating between languages. She had a hard time understanding all the terms on her insurances and leases. She recalls crying when she had difficulty understanding people over the phone and could not get her child enrolled in Medicaid. However, she has grown through these experiences. She knew more than what people were asking her to do. She has felt strength during this journey, and she has proven to herself that she can do it, and that she and her partner are a team. The advice she would like to give to people on similar journeys is to be patient, have discipline, and focus on every step.

“It is more difficult for immigrants, but it makes you better.” – Ana Gabriela

Article by I Belong Philly. Created by Yu-Shan Chou, Ben Goebel, Maria Gonzalez, and Silvia Roldan.

QUotes From Ana:

"I guess that the advice would be.. be patient. But have discipline. Focus on every step, be patient. I remember literally crying when I was trying to get Medicaid, because I didn't understand, because I was rejected by many people. When I called on the phone [it sometimes feels like they] don't want to understand me. And whoever is on the other side of the line is annoyed by me asking them to please repeat what they have said, and I'm annoyed because I don't get what they're saying. So, I have been there, it's tough. But you just have to keep on going and be patient and. And yes, it's more difficult for immigrants, but it makes you better.