What follows are some of the most notable role changes recently announced across cultural spheres.
Bridget Finn named Director of Art Basel Miami Beach
Finn, an experienced gallerist and former director of strategic planning at Independent Curators International, will work under Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s Director of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms, and collaborate with Maureen Bruckmayr, Head of Business and Management Americas. In her new role, which she’ll assume this September, she will be responsible for steering the direction of the Miami Beach fair, positioning Art Basel as the premier Modern and contemporary art fair in the Americas and supporting the discovery of new artistic practices and perspectives.
Finn will attend the 2023 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach before leading the show in 2024, joining several other recent Art Basel appointees, including Maike Cruse (Director of Art Basel Basel), Clément Delépine (Director of Paris+ par Art Basel) and Angelle Siyang-Le, Director (Director of Art Basel Hong Kong). “I look forward to the many collaborations and contributions that lie ahead with our galleries, patrons, and partners, as we look towards the next 20 years with limitless possibilities,” Finn said in a statement. “We will continue to propel the show to new heights of artistic excellence and profound impact.”
Stephanie Hill Wilchfort becomes Director and President of the Museum of the City of New York
Wilchfort will join the Museum of the City of New York in September as the new Ronay Menschel Director and President, succeeding interim Director and Chief Curator Sarah Henry. The previous director, Whitney Donhauser, left the institution in late 2022. “Stephanie has a stellar track record for cultivating community and garnering essential support from corporations, institutions and individuals alike,” William Vrattos, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “Her energy and innovative perspectives will undoubtedly complement our already strong MCNY team, ensuring the institution’s continued positive trajectory and helping us envision the Museum’s next 100 years.”
Prior to accepting the directorship, Wilchfort led the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for eight years as president and chief executive, during which she oversaw large increases in visitorship and revenue and four major capital projects. Other prior roles include Vice President of Development for the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Assistant Vice President and Senior Project Director at Sesame Workshop and senior positions at New York Public Radio/WNYC, New York Public Media/WNET and Lincoln Center.
Kristin Marting steps down as Artistic Director of HERE
HERE’s co-founder and artistic director announced she will leave the avant-garde arts center in June of 2024 after a thirty-year run. In a tweet, the organization bid farewell, thanking Marting “for pushing boundaries, challenging norms and igniting our imaginations,” adding that she will be dearly missed. “We are extremely grateful for your leadership, and you will always have a place HERE.”
According to Marting’s official bio, she has premiered works at HERE, 3LD, Ohio Theatre and Soho Rep, and her work has toured nationally and internationally. As of today (July 20), Marting hasn’t named a successor or announced her next move, though she has hinted that she plans to continue directing after programming her final season with the theater.
Robyn Farrell leaves Art Institute of Chicago to join The Kitchen
Farrell will join the arts nonprofit in August as senior curator after ending her tenure at the Art Institute of Chicago. She will serve under the leadership of Executive Director Legacy Russell primarily overseeing the expansion of The Kitchen’s programming and strategic vision. In a statement, Farrell said she is looking forward to advancing the institution’s “groundbreaking program and vital mission that supports urgent contemporary voices, risk-taking experimentation, and impactful and inclusive exhibitions, live events, and publications.”
In addition to curating exhibits for the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, including the 2021 Barbara Kruger show THINKING OF YOU. I MEAN ME. I MEAN YOU, Farrell has served as a visiting lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a scholar of the work of German filmmaker Gerry Schum and a moderator for the Screen to Screen series at the Gene Siskel Film Center. She holds a master’s degree in art history, theory and criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
