Todd Caissie Takes the Helm at the Montclair Art Museum
The Osage museum professional steps into a new leadership role. Plus, curators named for the Aichi Triennale and Biennale of Sydney in our weekly roundup of industry news.
Art Movements, published every Thursday afternoon, is a roundup of must-know news, appointments, awards, and other happenings in today’s chaotic art world.
New era at the Montclair Art Museum
Todd Caissie was named executive director of the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) after serving as deputy director starting last year and interim director beginning this one. He succeeds Ira Wagner, who is retiring after taking on the role in 2020. Alongside recently appointed chief curator Kate Kraczon, the museum is entering a new era — one it calls "people-centric," emphasizing emerging and underrepresented artists.
"Traditionally, museums are object-driven and function like black holes—accumulating art while gatekeeping narratives," Caissie, a member of the Osage Nation, said in a statement. "I envision MAM functioning like an exploding sun." Shine bright, Mr. Caissie.
What Else Happened?
- Kevin Tervala was named chief of Curatorial Affairs and Exhibitions at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
- Cathleen Chaffee was named artistic director and Jillian Jones named executive director at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, beginning November 1.
- Low Kee Hong was named the artistic director of the 26th edition of the Biennale of Sydney in 2028.
- Suleman Aqeel Khilji is now represented by White Cube in collaboration with Standard Oslo gallery in Norway and the continuing support of Jhaveri Contemporary in Mumbai, India.
- Shabbir Hussain Mustafa was named artistic director of the 2028 Aichi Triennale in Japan.
- Alice Shintani is now represented by Alison Bradley Projects in the United States, in collaboration with Almeida & Dale in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Stephanie Wiles will retire as director of the Yale University Art Gallery in spring 2027, a position she took on in 2018.
- The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago won the 2026 Ellsworth Kelly Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
- Orkideh Torabi and Susan Hamburger are now represented by Asya Geisberg Gallery.
- Michael Zavros won the people's choice category of the Art Gallery of New South Wales's Archibald Prize, Australia's premier portrait competition.
Wild Card: Oysters Galore
One of my favorite fun facts about New York City is that we used to be an oyster town, before overfishing led to the death of our oyster beds just about a century ago. Mohawk artist Alan Michelson's "The Oyster," a monumental outdoor sculpture opening on Governors Island today, July 30, draws on that history: Salvaged shells are encased in steel mesh enclosures in an homage to Lenape oyster middens and shell rings. The project, one of three commissions responding to the nation's 250th anniversary, was developed in collaboration with More Art and the Billion Oyster Project. There's not quite a billion oysters in Michelson's installation, but I'd say a couple hundred thousand is still more than enough.
