Lauren Haynes, an associate curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, has been hired as curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the museum announced today. Haynes is a specialist in African-American modern and contemporary art and has curated a number of exhibitions for the Studio Museum, including the current exhibit on Alma Thomas. She holds a BA from Oberlin College.
Museum Director of Curatorial Affairs Margi Conrads, in a news release, said Haynes will bring “an acute eye and extensive experience, a hallmark of which has been innovative presentations and working with artists and collectors. Her passion and collaborative spirit will play an important role in connecting visitors to contemporary art at Crystal Bridges.”
Haynes is quoted as well:
“Crystal Bridges and the Studio Museum share a commitment to bringing innovative and challenging artworks and exhibitions to broad and diverse audiences. I can’t wait to bring the perspective I’ve developed over the past ten years to Crystal Bridges and the Northwest Arkansas community.”
Besides her curatorial and programming duties at the museum, Haynes will also play a role in the new arts venue that Steuart and Tom Walton are creating in the old Kraft cheese factory in town, where she’ll assist in the artists-in-residence programs.
You can read a Culture Type interview with Haynes on the 2014 exhibition at the Studio Museum “Speaking of People: Ebony, Jet and Contemporary Art” here.