Moving On Up: Amid Financial Setbacks at Museums, 31 Curators and Arts Leaders Took on New Appointments in Second Half of 2023

Culture Type reports on new appointments of Black curators and arts leaders to get a sense of representation in museums, with an emphasis on art museums. Museum leaders, curators, and educators shape the management and intellectual direction of institutions, determine the art visitors see and the programming they experience and, by extension, whether audiences of color feel welcome and represented

NEW MUSEUM APPOINTMENTS are usually announced at a regular clip with new hires succeeding staff members who depart for new opportunities and longstanding curators who retire. But over the past few months, hiring news has been moderated by the changing landscape at major U.S. art museums—employees are forming unions for the first time, demanding better pay and benefits, as some institutions face decreased attendance and navigate financial strains rooted in revenue shortfalls that began during the pandemic.

In response, museums are attempting to balance their budgets by raising admission fees, reducing visiting hours, and even laying off staff. Several have disclosed cutbacks in personnel. In October, the Dallas Museum of Art laid off 20 employees (8 percent of its staff) and is now closed to the public on Tuesdays. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art slashed 20 jobs in November—eliminating 13 vacant positions and laying off seven staff members. Earlier this month, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York cut 10 jobs, including two deputy directors (amounting to about 2.5 percent of employees).

The Guggenheim layoffs came a few months after the museum’s staff signed their first union contract in early August. Since 2020, employees at about 20 U.S. art museums have formed new unions.

RECENT APPOINTMENTS | Clockwise, from top left: Danille Taylor (Clark Atlanta University Art Museum); Belinda Tate (Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields); David C. Howse (California College of the Arts); Destinee Filmore (Metropolitan Museum of Art); Melanie Adams (Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum); Michele A. Parchment (Brandywine Workshop and Archives); Diane Jean-Mary (Black Trustees Alliance for Art Museums); and Thomas E. Moore III (American Friends of the Louvre).

As the balance of power unfolds, museums are still making some hires, from entry-level curators to experienced managers in a range of departments. Belinda Tate joined the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields as director. Danielle Bias became chief communications officer at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The Metropolitan Museum of Art appointed Destinee Filmore assistant curator and the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum named Melanie Adams interim director.

Last year, Culture Type’s list of new appointments was biannual for the first time, divided into two parts. This approach has continued in 2023. The first installment covered 36 announcements made from January through June. This second installment generally focuses on new appointments over the past six months.

In addition to museums, the roundup includes appointments at a selection of prominent nonprofits dedicated to the arts, scholarly institutions that educate and support artists, and publicly funded agencies and organizations that participate in the larger art ecosystem. This group includes, for example, new leaders at the Black Trustees Alliance for Art Museums, American Friends of the Louvre, and Brandywine Workshop and Archives in Philadelphia.

The following Culture Type list of new curatorial and arts leadership appointments focuses on U.S. institutions and includes a few international organizations. This second installment of 2023 appointments features 31 new hires and promotions. (The appointments are arranged in chronological order according to announcement dates). The list is not comprehensive, but it is representative:

Danielle Bias. | Photo by Austin Peachin

Danielle Bias, Chief Communications Officer. | Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

In May, Danielle Bias joined the leadership team at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles in the role of chief communications officer. She had been serving as director of global corporate communications at Audible.com. Previously, Bias served as director of communications at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (2016-22) and was on marketing and communications teams at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Museum of Pop Culture, and the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.

Kimberly Diana Jacobs. | © Joey Kennedy

Kimberly Diana Jacobs, Exhibitions Manager and Assistant Curator. | August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Kimberly Diana Jacobs joined the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) as exhibitions manager and assistant curator. Her appointment was announced June 28. A writer and curator with more than a decade of experience, Jacobs has worked on a variety of curatorial, public programming, and museum education projects. She was a Hannah Behrend Fellow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a Romare Bearden Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Lauren LeBeaux Craig. | Photo by Fresco Arts Team

Lauren LeBeaux Craig, Interim Executive Director. | Newark Arts, Newark, N.J.

Lauren LeBeaux Craig was appointed interim executive director of Newark Arts, a “community-centered non-profit” founded in Newark, N.J., in 1981. The news was announced June 26. LeBeaux Craig is a lawyer who since 2018 had been serving as director of development and strategic initiatives at Newark Arts. She remains in the interim role.

Melanie Adams. | Courtesy Anacostia Community Museum

Melanie Adams, Interim Director. | American Women’s History Museum, Washington, D.C.

Melanie Adams stepped in as interim director of the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum (AWHM) in Washington, D.C., until a permanent leader is named. The news was reported by The Washington Post on June 28. Since 2019, Adams has served as the Roger Ferguson and Annette Nazareth Director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. The women’s history museum is in its early planning stages and won’t be completed for another decade. Adams’s appointment comes in the wake of Nancy Yao withdrawing from the top position at the women’s museum “due to family issues.” Yao previously served as director of the Museum of Chinese in America (Moca) in New York. Her June start date was delayed by a Smithsonian investigation into her handling of sexual harassment complaints and three wrongful termination lawsuits while she was at Moca. Yao said the Post’s coverage of the situation also influenced her decision to step down. Adams continues to lead the Anacostia Museum and serve as interim director of AWHM.

Melanie Adams will guide the museum’s collaboration efforts with other museums and educational institutions to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more in recognition of diverse perspectives on women’s history and contributions.

Eola Lewis Dance. | Courtesy The Montpelier Foundation

Eola Lewis Dance, President & CEO. | The Montpelier Foundation, Montpelier, Va.

Eola Lewis Dance was named president & CEO of The Montpelier Foundation, which operates James Madison’s historic home in Montpelier, Va. TMF announced the news June 28. Most recently, Dance served briefly as executive director of Black Lunch Table. Previously, she spent two decades as a public historian at the National Park Service, rising to superintendent of Fort Monroe National Monument in Fort Monroe, Va. Her new appointment at The Montpelier Foundation was effective Aug. 14.

JULY

Jordia Benjamin. | Photo by Coco McCracken

Jordia Benjamin, Executive Director. | Indigo Arts Alliance, Portland, Maine

Indigo Arts Alliance welcomed a new executive director. The appointment of Jordia Benjamin was announced July 12. Benjamin was promoted after serving as deputy director for two years. She brings a decade of experience in the museum sector to the role. Most recently, Benjamin spent nearly five years at Colby College Museum and Art, focusing on education, audience engagement, and public programming. She was also a Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Fellow at Saint Louis Art Museum (2014-15). Indigo Arts Alliance was co-founded in 2018 by Daniel and Marcia Minter, an artist and arts advocate, respectively. The nonprofit supports the professional development of Black and Brown artists in Portland, Maine, through residencies, fellowships, and related programming.

Olu Alake. | The Africa Centre

Olu Alake, CEO. | The Africa Centre, London, UK

The board of trustees of The Africa Centre in London announced the appointment of Olu Alake as CEO. He started in the new role on July 17. Established in 1964, the center serves as “a welcoming space offering authentic African heritage and cultural experiences.” Alake previously served as CEO at The Peel Institute, “a charity that’s been building a connected community in Clerkenwell since 1898.” He has also held senior roles at the London Marathon Foundation, Buttle UK, Equality & Human Rights Commission, and Arts Council England. Recently, Alake worked with the International Federation of Arts Councils & Cultural Agencies as chair of the International Programme Advisory Committee for its 9th Global Summit.

Diane Jean-Mary. | Photo by Ashley Landgraf, Courtesy Diane Jean-Mary

Diane Jean-Mary, Executive Director. | Black Trustees Alliance for Art Museums, New York, N.Y.

The Black Trustees Alliance for Art Museums (BTA) announced the appointment of Diane Jean-Mary as executive director on July 11. Members of the Black Trustees Alliance sit on the boards of art museums throughout North America. BTA is committed to Black representation in art museums across staffing and leadership; exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming; and even vendors and contractors. Jean-Mary was previously an executive at LaPlaca Cohen, an arts consultancy where she worked with art museums and cultural institutions on strategic vision, organizational development, and socio-cultural impact. She officially started at the Black Trustees Alliance Aug. 8, succeeding Brooke A. Minto, BTA’s inaugural executive director.

The Black Trustees Alliance was established expressly “to transform art museums into more equitable and excellent spaces of cultural engagement by harnessing the power of Black trustees.”

Bethani Blake. | Courtesy Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art/The Amistad Center for Art & Culture

Bethani Blake, Programs Manager for the African Diaspora. | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and The Amistad Center for Art & Culture, Hartford, Conn.

On July 17, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and The Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, Conn., announced the appointment of Bethani Blake as programs manager for the African Diaspora, a newly created role serving both institutions. The position is funded by The Amistad Center, which is housed within the museum. Previously, Blake was a curatorial intern at the Wexner Center for the Arts and a cultural arts associate at the Martin Luther King Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex, both in Columbus, Ohio.

Ageliki Key. | Photo courtesy NEH

Ageliki Key, White House Liaison. | National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, D.C.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) appointed Ageliki “Angel” Key as White House liaison. A veteran of the tech industry, Key previously worked at the White House in the Office of Presidential Personnel. At the start of her career, Key worked for an international business group located in Washington, D.C., where her role focused on Obama administration priorities. An AmeriCorps alum, she also served with City Year Miami. News of Key’s NEH position was announced July 20.

Justice Henderson. | Courtesy Saint Louis Art Museum

Justice Henderson, Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow. | Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Mo.

On July 25, the Saint Louis Art Museum announced Justice Henderson had joined the institution as the 2023-25 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow. Previously, Henderson served as an intern and adjunct lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago. She was also an intern at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. (2019). Henderson earned a dual master’s degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in arts administration and policy and modern and contemporary art history, theory, and criticism (2023). Her academic background also includes a BFA in studio art and an undergraduate degree in journalism, both from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

AUGUST

Mary Evans. | Photo by Christa Holka

Mary Evans, Director. | University College London (UCL) Slade School of Fine Art, London, UK

Nigerian born, British artist and educator Mary Evans was named director of the University College London (UCL) Slade School of Fine Art. The news was announced Aug. 2. Evans had been leading the BA Fine Art Course at Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts London (UAL), for the past five years. Previously, she taught undergraduate fine art at Central Saint Martins. “Mary Evans: Gilt,” a solo exhibition dedicated to the artist, was recently on view at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, South Africa. She officially started at the Slade School Oct. 4.

Dion Brown. | NMAAM

Dion Brown, Executive Director. | National Museum of African American Music, Nashville, Tenn.

On Aug. 2, the board of directors of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville, Tenn., named Dion Brown executive director/interim president. The appointment was a promotion. Previously, Brown served for 15 months as NMAAM’s COO, leading the operations, marketing, guest services, and education and exhibitions teams. Over the years, he has held leadership roles at a number of museums focused African American history and culture. At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, Brown served as president and COO (2018-19). He was also founding executive director of the National Blues Museum in St. Louis, Mo. (2015–2018) and executive director of the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Miss. (2011-15).

Michael Stone-Richards. | Photo by Cece McGuire

Michael Stone-Richards, Dean of Programs and Partnerships. | Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Cranbrook Academy of Art announced the appointment of Michael Stone-Richards as dean of programs and partnerships on Aug. 8. A writer, scholar, and educator, Stone-Richards has taught at Northwestern University, Stonehill College, and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where his courses included critical practice and visual studies. At Cranbrook, he “will work in a curatorial role to increase representation within the graduate curriculum, and to expand audiences across the Academy. He will also conduct direct outreach to develop and support active partnerships in the City of Detroit and work closely with the Academy Director to steward major gift initiatives of the Gilbert Family Foundation.” At the end of November, Cranbrook announced an interim team of three, including Stone-Richards, would lead the school through the current academic year, which concludes in May 2024.

Emerald Lucas. | Photo by Carmen González Fraile

Emerald Lucas, Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts. | Morgan Library & Museum, New York, N.Y.

Emerald Lucas was named a Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow in Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum. The appointment was announced Aug. 10. Previously, Lucas was a research assistant to Professor Emeritus Colin Eisler at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. She is studying for an M.A. in art history at Hunter College, where her individual research has focused on “global interconnectedness in the medieval world, especially in trade and cultural exchange between Europe, Africa, and Asia.”

Hannatu Musawa. | Photo via Hannatu Musawa/Facebook

Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy. | Nigerian Federal Government, Abuja, Nigeria

In Nigeria, Hannatu Musawa was appointed minister of art, culture and the creative economy, a newly-created role in President Bola Tinubu’s 45-member cabinet. (Tinubu was just elected in May.) The news was reported by The Art Newspaper Aug. 18. Musawa is a lawyer and human rights activist whose portfolio includes ongoing negotiations for the return of Benin Bronzes from U.S. and European institutions and the development of new museums in Nigeria. She succeeded Layiwola Mohammed, who had served as culture minister since 2015.

Michele A. Parchment. | Courtesy Brandywine Workshop and Archives

Michele A. Parchment, Executive Director. | Brandywine Workshop & Archives, Philadelphia, Pa.

Brandywine Workshop and Archives (BWA) welcomed a new executive director. The appointment of Michele A. Parchment, was effective Aug. 21. Parchment is only the second person lead Brandywine, the storied print workshop where artists have been collaborating and experimenting with master printers since 1972. She succeeded artist and educator Allan L. Edmunds, the nonprofit’s founder and sole executive director. Parchment’s background includes three decades of experience working with museums and arts organizations in a variety of capacities, including education, public programming, and exhibition and collection management. She had been serving as a consultant to Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator in Miami, Fla., when she joined BWA. Previously, Parchment was director of public engagement at the Sarasota Art Museum at Ringling College of Arts and Design (2018-22) in Sarasota, Fla., and held several roles at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, N.C. (2006-14).

“Early on I had a dream to build a sustainable institution that could provide support for advancing artists of color, and document and demonstrate the quality of their creative achievements in the widest world possible. Time and technology has enabled the dream to be realized and now is the time for new, visionary thinking and I welcome Michele Parchment to lead the way.” — Allan Edmunds

Charlique C. Rolle. | Photo by John R. Boehm

Charlique C. Rolle, President. | African American Arts Alliance of Chicago in Chicago, Ill.

The African American Arts Alliance of Chicago has a new president for the first time in a quarter century. Charlique C. Rolle succeeded founding president Jackie Taylor, who led the organization since its founding in 1997. The news was announced Aug. 21. The nonprofit alliance is “dedicated to supporting and promoting Black excellence within the performing, visual, literary, technical and design art forms.” An arts administrator, interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, director, producer, actor and writer, Rolle serves as executive director of Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago. She has been a member of the Alliance board for three years.

Gabi Ngcobo. | Photo: Javett-UP, Courtesy Kunstinstituut Melly

Gabi Ngcobo, Director. | Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, Netherlands

On Aug. 22, Kunstinstituut Melly announced the appointment of Gabi Ngcobo as director. She officially starts in January 2024. An internationally recognized curator, Ngcobo has been serving since 2021 as curatorial director of the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. In 2018, she curated the 10th edition of the Berlin Biennale and was a co-curator of the 32nd São Paulo Biennial in 2016.

Danille Taylor. | Courtesy Clark Atlanta University Art Museum

Danille Taylor, Director. | Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, Atlanta, Ga.

Danille Taylor was named director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum (CAUAM). The appointment was widely announced Aug. 25. A professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta, Taylor served as interim director of the HBCU’s museum from August 2022 to July 2023. Her background includes 17 years in higher education administration (Texas Southern University, Dillard University, Indiana University Northwest). She joined Clark Atlanta in 2015 as dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. Taylor earned a Ph.D., in American civilization from Brown University and a masters in African American studies from Boston University where she studied with Edmund Barry Gaither, founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston and first president of the African American Museum Association. The experience established her foundation in African American visual art history.

“CAUAM is thriving under [Dr. Taylor’s] leadership, and her efforts to advance the museum to the next level are meritorious.”
— Dean and Professor of the School of Arts and Sciences Jaideep Chaudhary

Lynn Farmer. | MIA

Lynn Farmer, Chief Audience and Engagement Officer. | Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minn.

On Aug. 22, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) announced Lynn Farmer had been named chief audience and engagement officer. Farmer officially started in September. Her background includes more than 30 years of related experience. She joined the museum from Twin Cities PBS, where she served as vice president of marketing and communications. Previously, Farmer was associate vice president of marketing and communications at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., and rose to senior director of In-Store Marketing, Strategy and Concept Development at Target Corp.

SEPTEMBER

Thomas E. Moore III. | Photo courtesy AFL

Thomas E. Moore III, Executive Director. | American Friends of the Louvre, New York, N.Y.

Thomas E. Moore III was named executive director of the American Friends of the Louvre (AFL) in New York. The news was announced Sept. 13. He officially started on Oct. 23. AFL raises funds throughout the United States to help support the French museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programming. Moore has participated in AFL’s Young Patrons Circle since 2015 and became a member of the board of directors in 2021. He is stepping into his new role after serving as director of development at the National Academy of Design in New York. Moore is only the second person to lead American Friends of the Louvre, succeeding Sue Devine who has served as founding executive director since 2004. During her nearly two-decade tenure, the organization raised $50 million.

Belinda Tate. | Courtesy Newfields

Belinda Tate, Director. | Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Indianapolis, Ind.

On Sept. 20, Newfields announced the appointment of Belinda Tate as the next director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). An encyclopedic museum founded in 1883, IMA is part of Newfields, a cultural institution spread across 152 acres in Indianapolis, Ind., that includes art galleries, performance spaces, expansive gardens, and a sculpture park. Tate had been serving as executive director of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) in Kalamazoo, Mich., since 2014. She departed KIA in mid-October and joined IMA in the role of Melvin & Bren Simon Director on Nov. 6. Beleaguered by racial controversies since 2020, Newfields had subsequently been charting a new direction, which included Newfields Together, a strategic action plan, and new leadership appointments. The institution elected a Black chair of the board of trustees (Darrianne Christian). In addition, Newfields also hired a Black vice president of human resources and chief people officer, whose charge includes DEIA practices (Ernest Gause); a Black president and CEO (Colette Pierce Burnette); and now a Black museum director (Tate). Less than a week after Tate started, Christian announced Burnette’s tenure had ended. Newfields has not clarified whether Burnette was fired or resigned from her position as president and CEO. Nor has Burnette commented publicly. The local community has since questioned and protested her abrupt departure. Tate is a significant addition to Newfields. She is one of the few Black people to direct a major mainstream art museum in the United States and is now the first to lead a second.

Jade Powers. | Photo by Kenny Johnson

Jade Powers, Curator of Contemporary Art. | Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Ala.

Jade Powers joined the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) in the role of Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art. She officially started in early September. Her appointment was announced Sept. 25. Since 2022, Powers had served as curator of contemporary art at Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla. Previously, she was assistant curator of contemporary art at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo.

OCTOBER

David Blasher. | Courtesy MAP Fund

David Blasher, Executive Director. | MAP Fund, New York, N.Y.

The MAP Fund, which provides grant support for new performance works with an emphasis on BIPOC and other underrepresented communities, named David Blasher executive director. The news was announced Oct. 18 by the New York nonprofit founded in 1989 as the Multi-Arts Production Fund. Blasher, who worked with the MAP Fund as an adviser to leadership for nearly two years, and had been acting as interim executive director since January, is officially serving in the role permanently. Previously, he was director of Global Legal Operations and Innovation at NBCUniversal. An actor and cellist, Blasher has an undergraduate degree in theater studies from Yale University.

Monique D’Almeida. | Courtesy Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

Monique D’Almeida, Deknatel Curatorial Fellow in Japanese Works on Paper. | Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar announced on Oct. 19 that Monique D’Almeida had recently been appointed Deknatel Curatorial Fellow in Japanese Works on Paper. She is helping to survey the Loeb’s holdings of Japanese works on paper with a focus on “developing avenues for research, acquisitions, interpretation with an eye to improving the accessibility of the collection.” Previously, D’Almeida served as the Margaret R. Mainwaring Curatorial Fellow in Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she curated “Scandal and Virtue: Staging Kabuki in Osaka Prints” (2023) and co-curated “Celebrating the Brandywine Workshop” (2022). In prior roles, she was the Freeman Foundation Curatorial Research Fellow at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2019–2020) and the Society of Asian Arts Honolulu Intern at the Honolulu Museum of Art (2014–2015).

David C. Howse. | Courtesy CCA

David C. Howse, President. | California College of the Arts, San Francisco, Calif.

On Oct. 25, the California College of the Arts (CCA) announced David C. Howse would be its next president. Bringing more than two decades of experience with arts organizations and educational institutions, Howse joined CCA from Emerson College in Boston, Mass. Since 2015, he had served as vice president in Emerson’s Office of the Arts, executive director of ArtsEmerson, and special advisor to the president. Howse assumed the role of president at CCA this month (December), joining the ranks of a few other African Americans leading prominent art and design schools, including Crystal Williams, president of the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, and Eric Pryor, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia.

“Becoming the president of CCA is an incredible opportunity, because it brings together my interests in and professional dedication to the arts with my passion for teaching, innovating, and engaging the community.”
— David C. Howse

NOVEMBER

Johanne Affricot. | Photo by Emmanuel Anyigor

Johanne Affricot, Curator at Large. | American Academy in Rome, Italy

On Nov. 7, the American Academy in Rome (AAR) announced Johanne Affricot had taken on the role of curator-at-large (2023-24). A Rome-based independent curator and cultural producer, Affricot is artistic director of SPAZIO GRIOT and GriotMag. The academy is “a leading American overseas center for independent studies and advanced research in the fine arts and humanities.” During her tenure at AAR, Affricot is working with arts director Ilaria Puri Purini with a focus on public exhibitions and other arts programming.

Atiba Edwards. | Courtesy Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Atiba Edwards, President and CEO. | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Atiba Edwards is the new president and CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM). Edwards had been acting in the role since August. His appointment to the permanent position was announced Nov. 29. Previously, Edwards was COO and executive vice president of the museum. In earlier roles, he was director of operations at a middle school called Brooklyn East Collegiate and an analyst at J.P. Morgan. Founded in 1899, BCM describes itself as the first children’s museum in the world.

DECEMBER

Destinee Filmore. | Photo by Bradley Wakoff

Destinee Filmore, Assistant Curator, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art. | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the appointment of Destinee Filmore as assistant curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art on Dec. 5. Currently, Filmore is a Mellon Curatorial Fellow at the Williams College Museum of Art at Williamstown, Mass. Her research and publishing has focused on artists Alvin D. Loving, Nellie Mae Rowe, and Mildred Thompson and vernacular African American artistic traditions, the reception history of identity-based exhibitions, and Afro-Cosmopolitanism in the early 20th century. A graduate of Spelman College, Filmore earned an M.A. in the history of art from Williams College.

Antoinette Roberts. | Photo Mission Studio

Antoinette Roberts, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art. | Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, Md.

On Dec. 11, The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced Antoinette Roberts was joining the museum as assistant curator of contemporary art. She is a curatorial assistant in the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where she is helping with the development of the forthcoming exhibition “LaToya Ruby Frazier: Monuments of Solidarity.” Roberts officially starts in February 2024 at the BMA, where she will be working with Jessica Bell Brown, curator and department head of Contemporary Art. CT

EXPLORE MORE Culture Type published a roundup of new appointment highlights spanning the first half of 2023

EXPLORE MORE Culture Type has previously reported on annual curatorial and arts leader appointments, dating from 2016

FIND MORE In November 2022, the Mellon Foundation and Ithaka S+R released a third survey of North American art museum staff demographics. (Summary)

FIND MORE Art museums are financed through a variety of sources, including admission and membership fees, government funding, foundation grants, and donations from wealthy patrons. Reports and articles about how museums are funded have been published recently by Panorama, the journal of the Association of Historians of American Art, ARTnews, the University of California Press, and the New York Times