APME Fellows

Ignatius Gerry Apriryan is the General Manager of Irama Nusantara, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving Indonesian popular music digitally. Since 2015, he has focused on archive digitization, exhibition curation, album reissues, and public engagement through concerts and educational programs, helping to make Indonesia’s musical heritage more accessible. Gerry has contributed to various exhibitions celebrating Indonesia’s cultural and musical icons. Some of the projects he has worked on include “Mari Ber-Lenso!” (2024), “Biang Kerok: Pameran Arsip Benyamin Suaeb” (2024), and “Dari Ngak-Ngik-Ngok ke Dheg Dheg Plas” (2023–ongoing). In 2023, he helped organize “Rangkaian Irama: 1 Dekade Irama Nusantara”, marking ten years of the foundation’s efforts.

Beyond music, he has also taken part in research and archival projects exploring Indonesia’s cultural history, such as “Mas Yos: The Singing Commodore” (2024) and “Irvan Noe’man: Con Alma” (2019). Through his work, he hopes to contribute to the preservation and appreciation of Indonesia’s rich cultural legacy.

Karen Artiaga is an Assistant Professor of the College of Science at the Partido State University (ParSU) and the Director of the ParSU Museo de Isarog (MDI). Her research spans ethnobotany, plant tissue culture, and management of biodiversity resources, with a particular focus on how climate change and human activities impact the management, use, abundance, and distribution of plant resources. As the current Museum Director of the MDI, she works with communities to support community-led heritage management initiatives and strengthen local capacity for heritage preservation.

Grinta Ale‘eke Bemama is the Ethnologist at the Solomon Islands National Museum, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Bemama graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Papua New Guinea in 2014. She was employed as a Field Archaeologist at the Solomon Islands Government under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the Solomon Islands National Museum Division. As a Field Archaeologist from 2014 to mid-2024, she has experience working in the Archaeological field work collaborating with the German Archaeological Institution, Defense POW/Mia Accounting Agency(DPAA), San Diego University, University of Otago, and Japan Association for Recovery repatriation of war casualties (JARRWC). In mid-2024, she started working at the Solomon Islands National Museum, managing and administering the museum collections. She works with the National Library of New Zealand, together with the Solomon Islands National Museum Curator, for the Virtual Museum online website for museum collections.

Christin Gero has been a curator in the Collection Research and Preservation division at the Museum of East Nusa Tenggara since 2019. She has curated five types of collections: archeological, historical, ethnographic, philology, and art. She has researched ethnographic-related collections, such as weavings and Wuli ritual jewelry. Before becoming a curator, she worked as an educator in the Education and Publications division in the same museum.

Gero has a Master's degree in Museology from Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia. She has worked on several public programs, such as learning together in museums, storytelling, and touring museums. She worked as an educator from 2011 to 2019, and worked as a civil servant in the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Office of Tourism and Culture from 1997 to 2011.

Michael Spis Gordon is a Media Manager at the Belau National Museum in Palau, where he focuses on digital media, videography, and storytelling. With a strong background working in the Media field and a passion for preserving Palau's cultural heritage, Michael works to enhance the museum's media projects and plays a key role in documenting and sharing the stories of Palau’s rich history. Michael’s expertise extends to managing various aspects of media production, from videography to audio recording, and he is deeply committed to preserving and sharing the unique cultural narratives of Palau with a global audience.

As the Scientific Officer at Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Arif Kassim proudly serves within the Conservation and Collection Management Division, a role he has held since 2021. Despite the relatively short span of time, Kassim has made significant strides in the field, drawing upon his academic background in Chemistry and the comprehensive in-house learning programs offered by the institute.

Kassim’s primary responsibilities include ensuring the proper care, preservation, and stable conservation of the diverse collections, both those on display and those housed within the storage facilities. These efforts are vital to safeguarding the institution's treasures for current and future generations. Kassim is deeply committed to continuous growth, actively seeking opportunities to expand his knowledge and enhance his expertise. This dedication enables him to overcome challenges in this specialized field while contributing to the institute's preparedness for an ever-evolving future. He takes great pride in playing a role that bridges the past and present, ensuring that the collections remain a source of inspiration and learning for years to come.

Leni Leon is the Executive Director of the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History & Culture. He is also a photographer, filmmaker, cultural jewelry artist, and lifelong creative who draws influence from his love for the Pacific Islands and their cultures.

Originally born and raised in the Marshall Islands, Leni moved to the Marianas as a young man and grew to admire the Chamorro and Refaluwasch cultures he encountered while living in Achugao. Leni temporarily serves as a Curator, Collections Manager, Outreach Program Coordinator, and Archivist. He was hired by the NMI Museum Board of Governors on July 1st, 2024, and since then, he has led several new programs for the Museum by leveraging partnerships with cultural agencies, non-profit organizations, and community leaders, including the Cultural Roadmap Program for immersive learning. Leni has a BA in Creative Media and a Minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

Dissa Aruna Makalingga, S.Pd. Currently serves as Collection Staff at the Affandi Museum and has had a great interest in the world of museums and art for a long time. He is a graduate of the Bachelor of English Language Education from Sanata Dharma University. As part of the Affandi family, the world of art and museums has been a part of his life. With more than four years of experience, Dissa is active in managing museum collections, being a courier of works of art for exhibitions, guiding international visitors, and supervising the security of the museum building and collections.

Rona Novitasari is a cultural specialist officer and conservator at the West Kalimantan Provincial Museum. She graduated from Airlangga University with a Bachelor of Anthropology in 2015. She has participated in various annual museum programs, one of which is the Museum Collection Study. This program involves research on the museum collections to improve their data. This research also aims to examine the possibility of changes in function and meaning, as well as the existence of the collection in society. In addition, she serves as a conservation mentor for students who are interning at the West Kalimantan Provincial Museum.

Johanis Ohoiwirin is the Director and Curator of the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress (AMCP). He has been with the organization since 2004 and began his directorship in October 2023. In his role, he has led the Festival Asmat Pokman, a public event of the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress since 1981 to preserve Asmat art and culture. He has curated and organized Indonesian national events supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and in partnership with the government of Asmat regency.

Ohoiwirin has been trained in museum management and art exhibitions at the Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia. During that time, he was also involved in the preparation of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT7). He also served as a listening student at the Faculty of Anthropology, University of Queensland, and a volunteer at the UQ Art Gallery managed by the Faculty of Anthropology in 2012. Ohoiwirin earned his Bachelor of Literature (BLtt) from Fajar Timur University of Philosophy and Theology, Jayapura, 2003.

Meaitiiti Erika Radewagen has an MA in Anthropology (UC Berkeley) and has worked as an archaeologist in historic and cultural heritage preservation in American Samoa for over 20 years. She volunteered as the curator at the Jean P. Haydon Museum of American Samoa from 2019 – 2024 where she designed the museum digital strategy and website, the collections care plan, the collections digitization procedure and coordinated annual exhibits with external sponsors and worked towards addressing safety and security issues for both the collections and the public. Erika is an alumna of the East-West Center’s Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Museum Institute and is currently finishing up the last of her collections care courses with the UCLA Institute of Archaeology Preservation of Indigenous Collections extension program. In addition to continuing her work in preservation, Erika founded the American Samoa Cultural Heritage Collective, a local non-profit that explores innovative ways to connect local and diasporic Samoan communities to collections, both archaeological and contemporary. Her current project is working with local and diasporic creatives on aspects of conservation, curation, and exhibition of their work to empower them in the commercial world.

Kaitipsal Wulep is the Curator of the National Museum of Vanuatu, which is part of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. His role involves overseeing the museum’s collections, curating exhibitions, and working closely with local communities to document and preserve Vanuatu’s rich cultural heritage. He is passionate about safeguarding traditional knowledge, artifacts, and intangible heritage, ensuring they are passed down to future generations. Wulep’s key areas of interest include improving museum collections management, conservation strategies, and disaster preparedness, especially given the recent challenges faced by our museum due to natural disasters. He is also keen on exploring digital documentation methods to enhance accessibility and research opportunities.

Ma. Regina Yoma is the curator of the USC Museum. She joined the University of San Carlos in 2016 as a part-time faculty member of the Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History and became an assistant curator of the USC Museum in 2017. She graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and is currently a master’s student in the Department of Anthropology, Sociology and History at the University of San Carlos. Her master’s thesis explores the traditional salt farming and changing landscapes in the Southern Tagalog region of the Philippines.