This past Thursday, The Baltimore Museum of Art named Jessica Bell Brown as their new Head of Contemporary Art in the department. Jessica Bell Brown was promoting from her original position of art historian and had previously served as associate curator or art since joining the institution in 2019.
With a new role, comes new obligations. Brown will now oversee associate curators, curatorial assistants, and manage the museum’s growing collection of art. What her fellow colleagues have said about Brown, make Brown the perfect person for the job, “Since joining the BMA, Jessica has positioned artists’ voices at the core of her curatorial work, creating new platforms to experience art as envisioned by its makers and bridging institutional and artistic visions and approaches,” Asma Naeem, interim co-director and chief curator, said in a statement. “Her vision, keen insights, and commitment to artists will be integral as the BMA continues to diversify its collections and expand the narratives of art through its exhibitions and programs.”
One of Brown’s most notable exhibitions she has curated is “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” which serves as an exploration of the Great Migration. This exhibition had Brown commission 12 intergenerational Black artists to make new work delving into this major historical and cultural shift through a personal lens. To see this exhibition, head on over to the MMA this Saturday, for its opening debut.
