Amber Amaya

Amber Amaya speaks about the Palm Springs Art Museum with personal reverence. Its very walls hold her family’s imprint; her grandfather helped build them in the 1970s. Now, as the museum’s youngest and first Latina director of marketing and communications, she’s helping create its future.

Born and raised in the eastern Coachella Valley, Amaya draws purpose from her heritage. “We’ve been here for several generations, and that generational and community connection is what drives my work today,” she shares.

Her work includes bilingual content, cross-cultural programming, and collaborations with artists who have long stood outside the spotlight, citing exhibitions with Guadalupe Rosales and Howard Smith as highlights. “The most satisfying thing about my work is getting to amplify voices from our community … and making sure that we’re telling the stories that matter.”

Amaya measures success not in accolades, but in access. “Success means bringing other people with me,” she says. “No one does this work alone.”