EMORY UNIVERSITY in Atlanta, Ga., welcomed TK Smith as curator of the arts of Africa and the diaspora at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Smith is a curator, writer, lecturer, and cultural historian who has been based in Atlanta and Philadelphia, Pa. His new appointment at the campus museum was announced Aug. 1. “TK is a remarkable communicator who connects people with ideas, knowledge and beauty and makes art accessible,” Henry S. Kim, associate vice-provost and director of the Carlos Museum, said in a statement. “As a cultural historian and storyteller, he uses art as [a] portal for understanding our histories, revealing ideas that are often undervalued or unexpressed. I look forward to the work he will do in listening and responding to the needs of our communities.” Smith was most recently the inaugural Assistant Curator: Art of the African Diaspora at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia (2022-2024), where he worked on several projects and a few shows including “William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision.” During his tenure at the Barnes, he was a curator-in-residence at Yinka Shonibare’s Guest Artist Space (G.A.S.) Residency in Lagos, Nigeria (2023). “As a cultural historian and storyteller, [TK Smith] uses art as [a] portal for … Continue reading TK Smith Joined Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum as Curator, Arts of Africa and the African Diaspora, ‘He Uses Art as Portal for Understanding Our Histories’