Yvonne Force Villareal began her public career in the arts in 1995 as the President of Yvonne Force Inc. (YFI), an art advisory firm specializing in building and managing private collections and foundations. As President of YFI, Ms. Force was backed in-part by the late Mr. Laurance S. Rockefeller to form a collection in support of contemporary artists. In 2000, Ms. Force co-founded Art Production Fund (APF), a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing significant public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Together with co-founder Doreen Remen, the leaders grew APF into an ambitious national program of outdoor installations that include: Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains in Las Vegas, NV; Elmgreen & Dragset’s Prada Marfa in Marfa, Texas.
Expanding on their role as cultural entrepreneurs, in 2014 the duo established Culture Corps, a creative consultancy firm offering art advisory, artist brand collaboration, and cultural programming services with a focus in the hospitality, retail, entertainment, corporate and real estate industries. In working with private sector clientele and acclaimed artists to curate custom programs, their consistent goal is (and always has been) to create opportunities for artistic expression and viewer participation.
Ms. Force graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1988 with a degree in Fine Arts and serves on the Boards of Art Production Fund, White Columns and RISD’s President’s Alumni Advisory Council. Ms. Force has spoken on panels at many institutions and media outlets including Frieze Art Fair, Design Miami, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Yale University, School of Visual Arts (SVA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Today Show, and Bravo’s Work of Art, among others. Publication features include: Vogue, New York Magazine, W, Cultured, Avenue and Manhattan Magazine.