POMONA, CALIF.- The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College announced the arrival of Erika Ito as the museum’s new communications manager. Ito, who officially joined the Benton on March 31, will now serve as the point of contact for the media as well as direct all of the museum’s communications efforts, including social media platforms, the museum’s website, and tailored messaging to the Benton’s various constituents and communities, including the Friends of the Benton support group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Erika to the Benton team,” said Victoria Sancho Lobis, the Sarah Rempel and Herbert S. Rempel ’23 Director of the museum. “She brings valuable experience and timely perspectives on communicating within and beyond our Southern California communities. We look forward to developing the story of the Benton’s exhibitions, programs, and strategic initiatives with Erika’s leadership in this vital role.”

Ito’s responsibilities touch nearly every aspect of the Benton’s operations. She will now manage all internal and external communications for the museum’s range of audiences: the Pomona College and 7C campus communities, press and media, e-mail subscribers, digital followers, and grassroots supporters. She will also over oversee the Benton’s media campaigns, promotional and non-scholarly publications and collateral, film and photography requests and shoots, and partnerships with external collaborators.

Ito arrives at the Benton with experience in multimedia communications across a wide spectrum: retail, public media, film, and local government. In her role as a marketing associate at EJL Entertainment, her work resulted in a 400% increase in Instagram followers through collaborative content creation. As a freelance production assistant for commercial and editorial shoots, she is well-versed in on-set and post-production tasks and brings a practiced eye to the visual media of photography and video. A Southern California native, Ito received a BA in Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara, where she additionally participated in a year-long exchange program in Tokyo at Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Arts.

“I'm excited to join the Benton because of the museum’s dedication to making art accessible to all,” said Ito. “Having grown up in a household and academic environment that championed the arts, I love how the Benton actively engages with students, faculty, and surrounding communities. Its connection to Pomona College and Southern California makes the Benton the perfect space to experience art from a multidisciplinary lens. I look forward to elevating the stories and voices of the museum with the world."