DeCordova announces new Chief Curator

DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Gross as deCordova’s new Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator. Gross is presently Seymour H. Knox, Jr., Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Yale University Art Gallery, where she has worked since 2000.

“We are excited to have a curator of Jennifer’s vision, intellect, and reputation take the helm of our curatorial program,” said Kois. “Jennifer brings to deCordova an extraordinary track record of curatorial accomplishment on the international stage, a keen interest in sculpture, and a history of finding and supporting contemporary artists early in their careers. Having set the goal of making deCordova the best contemporary sculpture park in this country, the Board and I cannot imagine a stronger curatorial voice to help make that goal a reality while also ensuring we build a robust contemporary gallery program and collection.”

The appointment is the culmination of a six-month process by an advisory search committee, chaired by the Director and composed of deCordova Trustees, Overseers, and members of deCordova’s staff. As Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator, Gross will set the curatorial pace and direction for the both the Sculpture Park and the Museum, taking over a position previously held by Nick Capasso.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to deCordova’s ambitious future plans,” said Gross. “This is an exciting time in the history of this honorable and beloved institution as the staff and Board look to raise the bar for the Museum’s curatorial program.”

Gross has organized numerous exhibitions and artist projects at Yale, including: Richard Artschwager! (2013), which was organized jointly with and originated at the Whitney Museum of American Art, before moving to the Hammer Museum where it is currently on view; Continuous Present (2009), a group show which included Francis Alys, Rodney Graham, Roni Horn, On Kawara, and Franz West, among others; and The Societe Anonyme: Modernism for America (2012–2013), currently on view in the newly-renovated Yale University Art Gallery after traveling to the Hammer Museum, The Phillips Collection, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. In addition, Gross organized Yale’s annual Malbin Symposium; was a visiting critic in Yale’s School of Art; and organized the Happy and Bob Doran Artist-in-Residence Program, which brought in artists as diverse as Janine Antoni, Alyson Shotz, Thomas Nozkowski, and Richard Tuttle.

“The Board is ecstatic with the appointment of Jennifer Gross,” stated Gerry Frank, incoming President of the Board of Trustees. “It signals a true commitment to the quality of the Curatorial program and to moving deCordova boldly forward.”

Gross has published essays on numerous contemporary artists, including: Kristin Baker, David Ireland, Josiah McElheny, Jim Nutt, Marniko Otsubo, Laura Owens, Richard Tuttle, and Rachel Whiteread. She has been a guest lecturer, advisor, and juror at cultural institutions across the country, including for the Foster Prize at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; the Artadia Awards, Houston; The 2010 deCordova Biennial; and Harvard University.

Prior to joining the Yale University Art Gallery, Gross served as the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and as the founding Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art, where she was also an Assistant Professor. Earlier, she was the Director of the Germans von Eck Gallery in New York.

Gross received her PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She received her Master of Arts degree in Art History at Hunter College. A native of New Jersey, Gross has longstanding ties to the local arts community.

Established in 1950 and located just 20 miles west of Boston, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is dedicated to fostering the creation and exploration of contemporary sculpture and art through a dynamic slate of rotating exhibitions, innovative learning opportunities, a constantly changing 30-acre landscape of large-scale, outdoor, modern and contemporary sculpture, and site-specific installations.

DeCordova is located at 51 Sandy Pond Road in Lincoln, MA. DeCordova’s summer hours (Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend) are every day, Monday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. DeCordova’s winter hours (beginning after Columbus Day weekend) are Wednesday through Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission: $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students (ages 13 and up), and free for children 12 and under. Members, Lincoln residents, and active duty military personnel and their families are admitted free of charge with proper ID. Public tours of the Museum’s galleries (free with admission) are offered Thursday and Sunday at 2 pm, and the First Free Wednesday of every month at 1 pm. Public tours of the Sculpture Park (free with admission) are offered Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm. Group tours for students and adults are also available. Visit decordova.org or call 781.259.8355 for further information