Work continues on the future site of VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art near the Monroe Park campus. Photo by Brandy Brubaker.
As VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art begins to rise at the corner of West Broad and Belvidere streets, its director is building her staff.
Lauren Ross has been hired as curator of the ICA following an international search to fill the position, VCU announced Wednesday.
Ross is currently working as curator of modern and contemporary art at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Okla. She will start her new position in October.
“To get to be part of the team that’s building it from the ground up is an exciting opportunity,” Ross said.
VCU broke ground on the $35 million ICA project in June. The 43,000-square-foot facility is slated to open in 2016. Its official name will be the Markel Center at the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, in recognition of a contribution by Markel Corp.
ICA Director Lisa Freiman said Ross is a well-respected member of the art community and a great fit for the facility’s inaugural curator.
“She’s brilliant. She’s personable. She cares about the community,” Freiman said. “She cares deeply about artists and contemporary art.”
Lauren Ross
As curator, Ross, 43, will organize exhibitions and programming. ICA will be a non-collecting museum. It won’t keep its own permanent collection of works but will feature a variety of media and will have a 250-seat theater, a cafe, offices and gallery space.
Ross will join Freiman’s other recent hire, Jaime Baird, who will serve as head of administration.
Baird previously worked as assistant director of administration and development at Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies and Hessel Museum of Art in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Freiman said ideally, she’d like to have between 18 and 20 full-time employees at the ICA, a number she settled on after researching other similar non-collecting museums.
Next she’ll begin the search for a director of education and community engagement.
“I’m building a team from scratch,” Freiman said. “I’m making sure it balances out and the personalities work well with each other.”
Ross’ résumé includes 18 years of experience in the New York City art scene. She was the first curator of arts programs at the High Line, interim curator at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, and director and chief curator of White Columns, VCU said Wednesday.
Work continues on the future site of VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art near the Monroe Park campus. Photo by Brandy Brubaker.
As VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art begins to rise at the corner of West Broad and Belvidere streets, its director is building her staff.
Lauren Ross has been hired as curator of the ICA following an international search to fill the position, VCU announced Wednesday.
Ross is currently working as curator of modern and contemporary art at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Okla. She will start her new position in October.
“To get to be part of the team that’s building it from the ground up is an exciting opportunity,” Ross said.
VCU broke ground on the $35 million ICA project in June. The 43,000-square-foot facility is slated to open in 2016. Its official name will be the Markel Center at the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, in recognition of a contribution by Markel Corp.
ICA Director Lisa Freiman said Ross is a well-respected member of the art community and a great fit for the facility’s inaugural curator.
“She’s brilliant. She’s personable. She cares about the community,” Freiman said. “She cares deeply about artists and contemporary art.”
Lauren Ross
As curator, Ross, 43, will organize exhibitions and programming. ICA will be a non-collecting museum. It won’t keep its own permanent collection of works but will feature a variety of media and will have a 250-seat theater, a cafe, offices and gallery space.
Ross will join Freiman’s other recent hire, Jaime Baird, who will serve as head of administration.
Baird previously worked as assistant director of administration and development at Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies and Hessel Museum of Art in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Freiman said ideally, she’d like to have between 18 and 20 full-time employees at the ICA, a number she settled on after researching other similar non-collecting museums.
Next she’ll begin the search for a director of education and community engagement.
“I’m building a team from scratch,” Freiman said. “I’m making sure it balances out and the personalities work well with each other.”
Ross’ résumé includes 18 years of experience in the New York City art scene. She was the first curator of arts programs at the High Line, interim curator at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, and director and chief curator of White Columns, VCU said Wednesday.