Honoring Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator, The Studio Museum in Harlem
April 23, 2023
The Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) is proud to announce that it will present Thelma Golden, pioneering Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, with the KMA’s 2023 Himmel Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the art field. Founded in 1968, The Studio Museum serves as the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally, exemplifying how art gives shape to cultural change.
The Himmel Award ceremony will take place in New York City on Sunday, April 23, and will feature an intimate conversation between Golden and KMA Executive Director Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe as they discuss Golden’s trailblazing career as a museum professional and a champion of African American and Diasporic artists, along with her vision for The Studio Museum’s expansion project. The program will be followed by a cocktail reception and award dinner in Golden’s honor.
Throughout her formidable career, Golden has paved the way for meaningful discourse around issues relating to race, gender, and identity, enabling The Studio Museum to champion forward-facing art practices and become the world’s leading institution devoted to visual arts by artists of African descent. Golden has been instrumental in shaping the contemporary art world through her groundbreaking curatorial work and advocacy for artists of color. She has also played a critical role in developing the museum’s renowned Artist-in-Residence program and has been an influential voice in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the art world.
“We are thrilled to recognize Thelma Golden for her progressive advocacy and transformational impact on the field at large,” said Yun Mapplethorpe, KMA Executive Director. “Her visionary leadership has had a profound impact on the way we think about and engage with art, and we are honored to celebrate her achievements.”
During her tenure at The Studio Museum, Golden has become an influential figure in the art world and has served as a mentor to accomplished curators and emerging artists. Under her direction, the museum serves as an institutional anchor for the local community and global convener for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society.
About the Honoree
Thelma Golden is Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, where she began her career in 1987 before joining the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1988. After a decade at the Whitney, she returned to The Studio Museum in 2000 as Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Programs and was named Director and Chief Curator in 2005. Golden was appointed to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House by President Obama in 2010, and in 2015 joined the Barack Obama Foundation’s Board of Directors. She also sits on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Crystal Bridges Museum.
Golden is a 2008 Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and is the recipient of the 2016 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. In 2015, she was appointed as a Ford Foundation Art of Change Visiting Fellow and in 2017, Golden was honored with both the Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award from the Americans for the Arts and the Groundbreaker Award from Prospect.4 New Orleans. In 2018, Golden was awarded a J. Paul Getty Medal. She has received honorary degrees from Columbia University (2018), the City College of New York (2009), Smith College (2004), and in 2010 was awarded a Barnard Medal of Distinction from Barnard College.
About The Studio Museum in Harlem
Founded in 1968 by a diverse group of artists, community activists, and philanthropists, The Studio Museum in Harlem is internationally known for its catalytic role in promoting the work of artists of African descent. The Studio Museum is now constructing a new home, designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, at its longtime location on Manhattan’s West 125th Street.
About the Himmel Award and Conversation
Since 2009, the Katonah Museum of Art has been recognizing trailblazers, risk-takers, and leaders across the arts through its annual Himmel Award and Conversation series. The annual event and award are named in honor of Betty Himmel, who has been instrumental in defining the direction and mission of the KMA, and who continues to be an arts advocate and community leader. Past Himmel Award honorees include Robert Storr, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Maya Lin, Christo, André Leon Tally, Julie Taymor, Art Spiegelman, Philippe de Montebello, Darren Walker, and The Haas Brothers, among others.
Himmel Award Committee
Betty Himmel, co-Chair; Vida Foubister; Ginny Gold; Debbie Mullin; Amy Parsons; Yvonne Pollack, co-Chair; Thomas Rom; and Rochelle Rosenberg
Support for the Himmel Award and Conversation is generously provided by the Himmel Family. All proceeds from the Himmel Award and Conversation program and dinner benefit exhibition and education programs at the Katonah Museum of Art.
About the Katonah Museum of Art
The Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) is a non-collecting institution recognized for its innovative exhibition and education initiatives that champion art and artists—past and present—across artistic disciplines, geographies, and historical periods. Housed in a modernist building designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, the KMA was established in 1954 with a mission to spotlight exceptional art, while also responding to the most critical issues of our time through a bold and vigorous lens. Located in Katonah, New York, the KMA is the anchoring cultural institution in Westchester County, drawing visitors from throughout the Tri-State region and beyond.
