We are thrilled to have artist and educator Sumita Kim as the judge of this year’s Paint the Town Labor Day show. Kim is a professor of art at Montgomery College in Rockville.

Kim was born in Gwang-ju, South Korea. Growing up in Seoul with artist and journalist parents, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of art and language at an early age.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Sogang University in Seoul, she came to the United States to continue her education. In 1982, she was awarded a master’s degree in filmmaking from The American University in Washington, DC. She then worked for Voice of America for 10 years as a broadcaster in the Korean Service.

In 1992, Kim left journalism to pursue a formal education in fine arts, focusing on painting. She earned her MFA from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1999, and was hired the next year as a full-time professor by Montgomery College through a national search.

She is currently the painting coordinator of the Art Department at the Rockville campus. From 2008 to 2011, she also served as the department chair. She has been an active member of the college community, serving on schoolwide committees such as the General Education Revision Committee. In 2011, she was recognized for her excellence in teaching by earning the Faculty Outstanding Teaching Award.

While committing herself to teaching, she has also continued her career as a practicing artist. Her one-person show, “In Limbo,” at VisArts in Rockville, Maryland, received a review in The Washington Post. In 2019, Kim was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council, where she served as a councilor until early 2023.