ARTnews in Brief: MOCA LA Names José Luis Blondet Senior Curator, Walker Art Center Hires Rosario Güiraldes

Several major museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, have announced new curatorial appointments. Below, a look at job moves across the curatorial field.

MOCA has hired José Luis Blondet away from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where he has been curator of special initiatives since 2015. Beginning May 1, Blondet will now be a senior curator, working on exhibitions, acquisitions, and other special initiatives; his appointment is the first significant one since Clara Kim took over as MOCA’s chief curator last September. Among the artists Blondet has worked on commissions or performances with are Raven Chacon, Jade Guanaro Kuriki Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa, Liz Glynn, and Coco Fusco. Other curatorial credits include “Not I. Throwing Voices 1500 BCE – 2020 CE” (in 2021), “A Universal History of Infamy” (2017–18), and LACMA’s iteration of “Afro-Atlantic Histories”(2023), which traveled from the Museu de Arte de São Paulo.

In a statement, Blondet said, “MOCA has occupied a place in my imagination for a long time, even before I set foot in Los Angeles, thanks to its unrivaled collection, publications, groundbreaking exhibitions, and heralded curators. The prospect of working with esteemed colleagues to build upon this legacy—adding new voices to reimagine it here and now, while embracing an ample latitude of practices and a growing audience—is truly exciting.”

The Walker has named Rosario Güiraldes as curator of visual arts, who will also start at the institution on May 1. Güiraldes is currently an associate curator at the Drawing Center in New York. Her recent solo shows include ones for Xiyadie (2023), Fernanda Laguna (2022), and Ebecho Muslimova (2021), as well as a survey of the medium, titled “Drawing in the Continuous Present”(2022).

In a statement, Walker chief curator Henriette Huldisch said, “Rosario Güiraldes is a visionary curator, known for her passionate support of artists and bringing to the fore new voices. … Rosario’s knowledge, experience, and keen insight, as well as her commitment to illuminating the work of artists, will be invaluable as we envision the future of the Walker.”

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, has promoted Corinne Erni to the role of chief curator. Having joined the museum in 2016, she replaces Alicia G. Longwell, who retired in October after 38 years. Erni was hired as curator of special projects and has been promoted several times, with her most recent titles being senior curator and deputy director of curatorial affairs (she will retain the latter one). Erni’s promotion is the first significant personnel change under director Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, who joined the museum last July after its previous director had resigned after less than a year in the role. At the Parrish, Erni has organized shows for Deux Femmes Noires, Hank Willis Thomas and For Freedoms, Tomashi Jackson, and Barthélémy Toguo.

In a statement, Erni said, “Over the past six years, I have developed a deep love and appreciation for this unique and complex place, and all that the Parrish stands for—the rich variety of artists who are making their mark beyond the East End, the breathtaking architecture and landscape, and the many wonderful communities we serve and partner with.”

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney has appointed Keith Munro as its first-ever director of First Nations Art and Cultures. A descendant of the Kamilaroi (Gomeroi/Gamilaroi/ Gamilarray) people, Munro has been at the MCA Australia since 2004, and his most recent title was leader of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Initiatives, which he helped implement at the museum in 2015. As a curator, Munro has worked on exhibitions focused on Indigenous artists, including David Malangi Daymirringu, Bardayal
“Lofty” Nadjamerrek, and Ricky Maynard, as well as Tiwi Islands artists. Munro said in a statement that in his new role he hopes to “initiate new projects and programs to highlight, engage, inform and promote a greater understanding of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, cultures, ideas and art practice.”

In a statement, MCA Australia director Suzanne Cotter said, “The perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their rich culture and history is a fundamental part of who we are, and what we represent at MCA Australia. … [Munro’s] knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and cultures, his strong relationships with contemporary artists and community, and his exceptional thought leadership are foundational to MCA Australia’s vision and commitment to ensuring the centrality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures across the Museum.”

The Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania, has hired Denise Ryner as curator. Ryner joins the institution from the Or Gallery in Vancouver, where she was director and curator; she also held the post of associate guest curator at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin. Among her projects are a multi-day symposium, titled “Unmoored, Adrift, Ashore,” at the Or in 2022 and serving on the curatorial team for the exhibition and symposium “Whose Land Have I Lit on Now?” at Savvy Contemporary in Berlin in 2018.

In a statement, ICA Philadelphia director Zoë Ryan said, “With her experience working at the intersections of art and academia, Denise brings an exciting perspective and expertise that will enhance the reach, relevance, and impact of ICA’s exhibitions.”