My Mission
Connecting People with Art, Ideas, and Experiences
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A strategic leader and natural alliance builder, I foster trusted partnerships with artists, collectors, gallerists, and international
high-net-worth donors to lead teams producing and administering critically acclaimed exhibitions and collections. I have leveraged deep experience in the global art world on behalf of institutions to build and refine art collections while rapidly advancing in leadership roles through my ability to build effective teams and drive collaborative work cultures. I am always looking to find innovative ways to connect artists’ visions with a wider public. I have built deep relationships with collectors, artists, scholars, and gallerists across the globe. As an advocate, I have led public institutions in acquiring over well $30 million in art to date. |
Art is a reflection on life. |
Inspired by art’s role as a spark for curiosity, engagement, and empathy, I seek to help people navigate the art world and connect with works that reflect their own experiences, values, and stories.
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Artists are seers. They discern deeper truths and create works that open us to new possibilities. |
Art has a universal ability to connect people. It sparks curiosity, and fosters empathy. Sharing that experience is why I do what I do. |
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The breadth of my work thus far includes developing award-winning exhibitions, writing books and articles, and giving talks that seek to spark empathy, curiosity, and engagement, particularly for global Africa.
Learn More About My Work
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SELECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Collections: ♦ Built an international network of high-net-worth donors and art world stakeholders, bringing more than $30 million worth of art to the public and expanding institutions’ financial support ♦ Produced, managed 5 public-collection reinstallations at 3 institutions featuring multi-platform visitor engagement pathways, won multiple peer-assessed industry awards Publications: ♦ The Here Project: Pride and Belonging in African Art. Washington: Smithsonian Books, 2025. ♦ Heroes: Principles of African Greatness. Munich: Hirmer, 2023. Conferences Organized: ♦ Claiming Space: A Symposium on Black Futures, Jan. 27-29 2022; Co-organized by the National Museum of African Art, National Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture ♦ Triennial Chair for 2014 ACASA Symposium on African Art, administrator and manager for the organization’s most financially successful symposium thus far Public Talks: ♦ “Re-Centering Africa’s History, in Encyclopedic and Focused Collections,” TEFAF Talks, New York, 2018 ♦ “In Conversation: With El Anatsui and Susan Vogel," Brooklyn Museum, 2013 |
Kifwebe Mask (early 20th century)
Songye or Luba artist (Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Wood, pigment
30.5 x 18.1 x 15.6 cm (12 x 7 1/8 x 6 1/8 in.)
Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Beatrice Riese, 2011.4.2
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Awards & Distinctions
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ACASA Award for Curatorial Excellence (2024)
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness (National Museum of African Art) SMITHSONIAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXHIBITIONS (2020)
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness (National Museum of African Art) AAMC (Association of Art Museum Curators) AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (2018)
Best exhibition (museum budget $5-15 million) for Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts (National Museum of African Art) SMITHSONIAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXHIBITIONS (2018)
Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts (National Museum of African Art) AAMC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (2017)
Best exhibition (museum budget over $20 million) for Double Take: African Innovations (Brooklyn Museum) BEST MONOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK, International Association of Art Critics (2014)
Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui (Brooklyn Museum) AAMC Award for Excellence (2012)
Outstanding permanent collection reinstallation (finalist), for African Innovations (Brooklyn Museum) AAMC Award for Excellence (2010)
Outstanding permanent collection catalogue, for African Art: A Century at the Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn Museum) |