THE JEWISH MUSEUM APPOINTS DARSIE ALEXANDER CHIEF CURATOR

Darsie Alexander

Credit: Photo: Margaret Fox Photography

Release Date: November 14, 2017

THE JEWISH MUSEUM APPOINTS DARSIE ALEXANDER CHIEF CURATOR

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New York, NY, November 15, 2017 — Claudia Gould, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director, The Jewish Museum, announced today that Darsie Alexander will become the Jewish Museum’s Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator. Ms. Alexander has previously held curator roles at the Walker Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art, and is currently Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art. The accomplished curator and museum director will begin her new role on March 20, 2018.

At the Jewish Museum, Ms. Alexander will work with Claudia Gould and the Museum’s curators to advance the mission of one of the world’s preeminent institutions devoted to exploring art and Jewish culture, from ancient to contemporary.  She will lead the curatorial team — that has expertise in Judaica, contemporary and modern art, and media — to organize exhibitions, acquisitions, and publications.

Claudia Gould said, “Darsie has the leadership qualities and range of experience that we were looking for in a chief curator. I am confident that she will work with our curatorial team to create dynamic exhibitions that reflect the diversity of Jewish culture and identity.”

Ms. Alexander said, “The Jewish Museum has a remarkable collection that includes contemporary art, historical objects, material culture, and Jewish ceremonial art. This combination allows for a lively dialogue between culturally diverse works related to Jewish identity and the ground-breaking work of artists who have shaped art history in profound ways. It will be a privilege to advance the curatorial vision of the Museum’s distinct mission.”

Ms. Alexander secured nationally-recognized artists for commissions and site-specific installations and conducted a strategic plan as the current Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art since 2014. Previously, she was Chief Curator at the Walker Art Center (2009-2014), where she organized numerous exhibitions, including the critically-acclaimed International Pop (2015-2016).  While at the Baltimore Museum of Art (2000-2008) as Department Head and Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, she organized the only U.S. retrospective of the Austrian artist Franz West during his lifetime, Franz West, To Build a House You Start with the Roof: Work, 1972-2008 (2008). She started her career as an assistant curator in the Department of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

About the Jewish Museum

Located on New York City’s famed Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum is a distinctive hub for art and Jewish culture for people of all backgrounds. Founded in 1904, the Museum was the first institution of its kind in the United States and one of the oldest Jewish museums in the world. The Museum is devoted to exploring art and Jewish culture from ancient to contemporary, and offers intellectually engaging, educational, and provocative exhibitions and programs, and a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years.

Location: 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, New York City

Hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 11 am to 5:45 pm; Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm; and Friday, 11 am to 4 pm.

Admission: $15.00 for adults, $12.00 for senior citizens, $7.50 for students, free for visitors 18 and under and Jewish Museum members. Pay What You Wish on Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm. Free on Saturdays and select Jewish holidays.

Information: The public may call 212.423.3200 or visit TheJewishMuseum.org

Press contacts

Anne Scher, 212.423.3271 or ascher@thejm.org 

Daniela Stigh, 212.423.3330 or dstigh@thejm.org