Kathy Halbreich via Walker Art blog
As New York’s MoMA has been under fire the past few years for a program that takes the safe road, an article in the New York Times today announces a new position of Associate Director at the institution that was offered to Kathy Halbreich. Halbreich announced her retirement from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in March, and will be working with MoMA beginning in February.The announcement squashes the rumors she’ll be replacing Glenn D. Lowry, the 12-year director of MoMA or Alanna Heiss, the director of P.S. 1. Carol Vogel writes that the position will give Halbreich “influence in organizing exhibitions, planning performances and making acquisitions without assuming directorial responsibilities like fund-raising or capital expansions.”
Halbreich is looking for ways to incorporate new directions for MoMA and is planning on taking her time looking at the permanent collection “because [she] has a feeling there is more breadth there than we have seen”.
Vogel also notes in her article that current director Lowry is currently negotiating to add three to five more years to his contract. Real estate developer Jerry I. Speyer became chairman of the board in July, on a contingency that Lowry would stay at the Museum.
For Museum of Modern Art, a New Hire Signals New Directions [NYTimes]
