next week, Kate Kraczon begins her new job as chief curator of the Montclair Art Museum. Founded in 1914, the New Jersey institution was among the first in the nation to organize itself around American art, a field of study that now offers many opportunities. Kraczon, who comes from the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University, takes over a post held since 1994 by Gail Stavitskyand joins the future director Todd Cassie at a moment of great transition for the museum. We caught up with her to hear about her plans for the next chapter.
Congratulations on the new job. What excited you most about this role when you first heard about it?
Beyond its incredible collection and exhibition history, MAM has a dedicated audience and is a leader in accessibility and education programming. I was also intrigued by the unique history of the Yard School of Art, which joined MAM in 1999, and how this can be a provocation for both curators and artists.
You are succeeding Gail Stavitsky, who has held the position of chief curator since 1994. What is it like to step into a role shaped by someone for three decades?
Gail forged a strong collection and exhibition history, upon which I hope to build, an acquisitions program and strategy that is inspired by and honors that history. I have always liked the idea of revisiting thematic exhibitions and curatorial proposals decades later as a generative form of exhibition making and a way to extend a museum’s unique curatorial and scholarly legacy.
You’ll be working closely with upcoming director Todd Caissie, and you’ve said his vision resonates with yours. What are some dynamics of that partnership that you want to create in these first months?
Todd and I share a really joyful approach to what we do. We just love spending time with artists, and with people who also love artists, and we want to share this passion for art with the widest possible audience. Entering as a new chief curator at a museum is also a moment to think radically and ambitiously about how your exhibition program can live within the already thriving institutional ecosystem at MAM and the art ecosystems of northern New Jersey and the wider region. I believe Todd feels the same way that this moment is an opportunity to envision the future of MAM.
The announcement of your appointment describes your practice as “deeply collaborative”, as seen in your ambitious commissions such as Alex da Corte AND Jason MussonS ‘ Eastern sports (2014) at ICA Philadelphia. Can you tell me more about that project? What do you like about working with living artists?
Eastern sports it was an example of how a curator can amplify the strengths of an artist’s practice, especially strengths that may not be object-based (and therefore market-friendly). I loved Jayson’s writing and Alex’s videos, and knew they wanted to collaborate. What contemporary museum commissions allow are spaces for artists to experiment without the pressure of sales. Most of the projects I’ve commissioned have been long-term conversations over time. Elisabeth Subrin and I started the conversation about what would eventually become Listening takes (2023) nearly a decade before the installation opened at The Bell.
Montclair was founded in 1914 as one of the first American museums to focus on American art and built a serious collection of works by early Native Americans. Works from Jeffrey Gibson, Wendy the Red Star AND Edgar Heap of Birds sit by John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer AND John Singer Sargent. How does a contemporary, artist-focused curator like yourself approach a collection with that kind of range? Are you looking to create dialogues there?
Absolutely! That MAM has an excellent curator of Native American art Laura Allen— dedicated to local and indigenous works in the collection, as well as commissioning new art projects and curating exhibitions, was a significant factor in my decision to join the museum. I look forward to developing a program with Laura that centers local and indigenous practices while allowing the tensions within a historical collection to respond to our contemporary moment.
At ICA Philadelphia, you organized Ree Mortonthe first major American retrospective in more than three decades. Was it a pleasure to bring such an artist back into focus? Do you enjoy tackling similar projects in Montclair?
As someone who often focuses on the platforming of unknown artists, most recently a survey of the Bay Area octogenarian Franklin Williamsprojects like Morton’s retrospective are meaningful in both honoring the artist and bringing that work to a wider audience. Gallery size was a limitation at Brown University, and I am excited to be able to develop survey and retrospective exhibitions with ample gallery space. I’m already in conversations about major retrospectives in development with curators who work in a similar way!
You were a founding board member of artist-run spaces like RAIR in Philadelphia and FR MOCA in Fall River. What lessons have you learned from your experiences with these organizations that you can bring to a larger institution?
Working directly with artists to establish an arts organization, whether a residency program like RAIR or an exhibition and education space like FR MOCA, has been transformative for me. It provides access and understanding of what artists need and value when they are able to set priorities, and disrupts your understanding of how museums and larger art institutions can better support artists.
At Bell, you have established collaborations with international institutions such as Performa, Nottingham Contemporary and MACBA in Barcelona. Are you planning to start similar collaborations in Montclair?
Absolutely! The Bell was a true kunsthalle program in both spirit and size: it had just over 3,000 square meters of gallery space. MAM’s galleries are exponentially larger and quite beautifully proportioned, with high ceilings and an excellent architectural flow. This will allow me to curate and collaborate on much larger exhibitions than I could at Brown, as well as bring touring exhibitions organized by other museums to the New York Metro region that would not otherwise find a home on the East Coast or even within the United States.
Last question: Pork Roll or Bacon Taylor?
Scrap! I grew up in Pittsburgh, but I spent more of my growing up life in Philadelphia than any other city. The one aspect of Philadelphia culture I refuse to embrace is the Flyers. Let’s go pens.
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