Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) announces the appointment of Essence Harden as Senior Curator, beginning May 18, 2026. Harden is a renowned contemporary art curator, known for their interest in pushing the boundaries of visual language and their deep commitment to engaging artists in the curatorial process. Most recently, Harden served as curator for the 2026 editions of EXPO Chicago and the Focus section for Frieze LA, and co-curated The Hammer Museum’s major biennial Made in LA in 2025.
Harden’s appointment at YBCA marks their homecoming to the Bay Area. Currently based in Los Angeles, Harden grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, CA and attended the University of California, Berkeley for undergrad and graduate school. While at UC Berkeley, Harden’s Ph.D research focused on 1970s Los Angeles art collective Studio Z and Black visual studies, areas that have continued to impact their curatorial focus today.
“YBCA’s commitment to experimentation reflects a belief that the Bay Area is a vital force in contemporary artistic and cultural production,” said Harden. “Returning to the Bay Area through YBCA feels deeply meaningful. I’m excited to develop exhibitions with artists and colleagues that push aesthetic and conceptual boundaries while situating the region within the diasporic and global exchanges shaping contemporary art.”
Prior to working with Expo Chicago and Frieze LA, Harden served as visual arts curator at CAAM, and curated exhibitions at the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), Art + Practice, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), and the Oakland Museum of California, among others. Harden has been described as one of the “most sought after curators on the west coast” and praised for a curatorial approach that centers artists and “sparks multidimensional conversations.”
“This is such a pivotal moment for arts and culture in San Francisco, and I believe Essence will contribute so much both to YBCA and the city at large,” said Mari Robles, CEO of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. “We are thrilled and honored for them to shape our next chapter curatorially.”
In their role, Harden will collaborate closely with Robles and Chief of Curatorial Initiatives Dorothy Dávila to develop exhibitions that can both complement and inspire a rich slate of public programs and performing arts.
“I am excited to partner with Essence to refine how YBCA's artistic voice manifests across our programming," said Dorothy Dávila, Chief of Curatorial Initiatives. "Through bold exhibitions, Essence's curatorial voice will bring our visual arts program into stronger dialogue with our performing arts and film presentations.” Harden is planned to lead curation for the next edition of YBCA’s signature triennial, Bay Area Now, in 2028.
For more on current and upcoming exhibitions and programs, visit YBCA.org.
