The New Museum Hires Vivian Crockett as Curator

The New Museum in the Big Apple has hit the casino online by appointing Vivian Crockett as its newest Curator, signaling an increasingly global direction. Currently working at the Dallas Museum in Texas, she'll take on her new post starting January 1st of next year and will undoubtedly bring a fresh perspective to curating art from around the world for this prestigious institution.

Crockett has been working to make Latinx art more prominent at the Dallas Museum of Art. Crockett's recent projects include a solo exhibition for photographer Guadalupe Rosales, which will open in October.

Crockett's appointment at the New Museum could show a willingness on the institution's part to exhibit more Latinx art and African diasporic art. It would make them stand out compared to other major institutions, like The Met or MoMA, where such focus historically has been rare.

As Curator, she will be responsible for programming in the museum's main galleries and acquiring new collections. It is a very exhilarating time to be joining The New Museum at such a pivotal moment.

Crockett has worked across both exhibition curation and public programs throughout her career, spanning over 20 years in museums worldwide. She also served as the Head of Exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). She curated several critically acclaimed exhibitions, including "Future Generation: Artistic Strategies for Crisis and Change." Crockett also directed LACMA's Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A., an ambitious, 10-museum collaboration marking the centennial of the city's modern architecture.

Crockett has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design and received her Master of Arts degree from UCLA/Getty Graduate Program in the History of Art and Visual Culture, focusing on Latin American art history. She is about to finish her P.h.d in arts at Columbia University. She is fluent in Spanish.

She is the second colord person to head a major NYC museum. The Brooklyn Museum recently appointed Kristen Windmuller-Luna, the first woman and person of color to serve as a director in its history.

Crockett is excited about this appointment and her plans for The New Museum. A Latinx curator at this institution could shake things up by making more people aware of African diasporic art and culture here in New York City.

"I want to work with Latin American artists, women of color—and not because I have been asked to or I feel like it's expected of me," she told "L.A. Times." "It's because I'm interested in that work."

The appointment of a Latinx curator is part of what many hope will be a movement towards diversifying museums and their curatorial staff, which has been criticized for being too white and male.

The New Museum's director Lisa Phillips says she saw Crockett as most qualified for the position: "I was looking to make this museum more diverse and inclusive on every level—including diversity of thought, background, expertise, gender identification, age, race, nationality, and sexual orientation," said Phillips in a statement to The Guardian.

In July, they hired Isolde Brielmaier to replace Karen Wong, who had been in that position for a long time now. With an expert like Isolde coming on board, it means there will be many changes with Crockett's vision guiding them into uncharted territory and bringing fresh ideas along the way, which we are all looking forward to!

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes