The art of being Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem
SLIDESHOW - If Thelma Golden didn’t exist, you would want to invent her. As director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Golden brings her unique passion, commitment, style and laser-focus to every project she touches...
Walking through the museum, I often wonder what elements have to come together to put up a show, what makes it finally click.
“First and foremost, curating exhibitions is about art and artists. I always select objects for an exhibition in conjunction with the artist [or artists] if possible,” Golden pointed out. “An exhibition is in many ways a series of conversations. Between the artist and viewer, curator and viewer, and between the works of art themselves. It clicks when an exhibition feels like it has answered some questions, and raised even more.”
A day in the life of an art world star
Along with her husband, Nigerian-born designer Duro Olowu (who lives in London), the pair cut a wide and glamorous swath through both the cultural and fashionable circles of New York. What is a day in the life of Thelma Golden like?
“My days vary so much that it’s hard to say, but they always begin with me checking in with my husband in London and checking out the day’s news on multiple platforms,” she explained.
“I often have an early morning phone call with some of my amazing board members to talk museum strategy. I try to fit in some yoga or rebounding before I go off to the museum’s offices. While I’d love to say that I spend all my time at the museum talking to artists and hanging up art, the reality is that my days are varied and are spent in the process of creating the opportunity for the life of the museum with our amazing staff and the many people who support us and make our work happen.”
The message in her mission
One of Golden’s missions is to encourage and promote emerging artists as well as highlight the works of the past generations. Right now her attention is focused on this year’s artists in residence at the Studio Museum, Steffani Jemison, Jennifer Packer and Cullen Washington, Jr., who will be featured in the upcoming summer exhibition Things in Themselves, curated by the museum’s assistant curator, Lauren Haynes.
In addition, Golden is looking ahead to autumn.
“Also coming this fall are two exhibitions that feature up-and-coming artists as well as some legendary historic figures: Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, organized by Valerie Cassel Oliver for the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston and installed at the Studio Museum by assistant curator Thomas J. Lax; and The Shadows took Shape, an exhibition exploring Afrofuturism organized by assistant curator Naima J. Keith and independent curator Zoe Whitley,” she said.
Engaging with African-American fine art
I enjoy visiting the Studio Museum because in addition to learning about new artists, I discover older artists whose work I might not have been familiar with. Short of moving into the museum, Golden has some excellent advice about the best way we can school ourselves on African-American Art.
“Read! Look! Engage! Of course you are exactly right. The first way to learn about artists of African descent is to spend time in museums like the Studio Museum,” she said. “But I also must suggest you subscribe to our magazine, Studio, make studiomuseum.org your home page, and follow us on social media platforms. Also, for an amazing introduction to some fabulous contemporary artists, I love the emerging online authority blackcontemporaryart.tumblr.com.”
Selflessly giving a voice to black artists
Thelma Golden’s career has been stellar. From her critically-acclaimed exhibits to her slew of honorary degrees (from the City College of New York, San Francisco Art Institute, Smith College, Moore College of Art and Design, plus a Medal of Distinction from Barnard College), and the particular distinction of escorting the Obamas through the Studio Museum — which does she consider the high point of her career?
“I don’t really think of them of high points. What makes me proud is that I see, each and every day, the ways in which this institution has given a voice to artists of African descent,” Golden told theGrio. “I see their work everywhere, all over the world, really reinforcing what the founders of this museum knew in 1968: the incredible beauty and power of the work of artists of African descent.”
For more information about the Studio Museum, visit: http://www.studiomuseum.org/
Suzanne Rust is a writer, lifestyle expert, on-air talent, and a native New Yorker. Follow her on Twitter at @SuzanneRust.
