William Morrow Named Associate Contemporary Art Curator at DAM
The Denver Art Museum has announced the appointment of William Morrow as the Polly and Mark Addison Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. The press release sent out late morning on Friday, August 31, states that the museum concluded an extensive international search with his hiring. Morrow’s first project for the museum will be to join the curatorial team for Nick Cave: Sojourn debuting at DAM in June 2013.
“William Morrow is a creative leader in the contemporary art field who will continue to grow and evolve the Denver Art Museum’s collection and programming,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “He brings great experience working with contemporary artists and creating programs that push the boundaries of the art world but also deeply engage a variety of audiences by producing art, community and conversation around the creative process—aligning perfectly with our institutional goals.”
Morrow, it appears, was hired for his innovative work as the founding director of 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. DAM needs to up their game to compete with the ever-in-the-news and highly sought after Adam Lerner, chief animator for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Morrow created “an interesting new model for future art spaces,” says the press release and we know that Lerner’s programming is being replicated around the world.
Local and regional artists will be pleased with Morrow’s statement included in the press release:
“I’m honored to lead the contemporary art department and build on the momentum of the museum,” said Morrow. “Denver is an exciting community that values art and culture. I want to show our visitors the incredible art that is created in this state, while at the same time, showcasing a national and global perspective on contemporary art.”
“William has extraordinary vision about the broader context of contemporary art, and in particular, a keen eye for spotting emerging voices,” said Jeremy Dean, a New York-based multidisciplinary artist. “One has to look no further than the roster of shows he has produced to see that he has been involved early on with artists who are now shaping the world of contemporary art. But more than anything, it is his willingness as a curator to take risks, elevating new ideas to the status of art, and thereby expanding our definition of what art can be that makes him so valuable.”
It will be great to see what develops. Perhaps DAM will become the museum to uncover the raw and rich talent of the area.