Kate Fowle, who become a director of MoMA PS1 in 2019 and barely had the opportunity to lead the museum as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, abruptly announced on Friday that she would be stepping down as of July 15 from the museum in New York. Long Island City, Queens.
“This has been an extraordinary opportunity to lead MoMA PS1 for (almost) three years and to work with all of you along with our Board of Directors, patrons and sponsors,” she said. he said in an email to staff. “I want you to know that I have deep respect and admiration for all of you, and I am incredibly proud of all the work we have achieved together.”
She did not give any reason for her departure and declined a request for comment. But a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said that Fowle recently expressed difficulty managing his affairs during a meeting with the museum’s president. , Sarah Arisonand Glenn D. Lowry, director of MoMA.
MoMA PS1 however continues with its benefits Gala, which takes place May 18 and honors Agnes Gund, former president of MoMA PS1, who continues to serve on the museum’s and MoMA’s board of trustees. This is the first time the gala has been held at MoMA PS1’s yard.
Just two months ago, in an interview with The New York Times.
In a statement, Arison called Fowle “a talented curator and director”.
“Kate experimented with innovative models of community engagement, diversifying the uses of its building and yard to connect more deeply with the Queens and New York communities, while reinforcing its commitment to and PS1’s role as an artist-centric organization,” added Arison. “We all have a lot of admiration and respect for Kate – including her incredible work ethic and artistic vision.”
Fowle said in her staff letter that she will continue to co-curate an exhibition of recent works by Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos, slated to open next month. 4” and look forward to working with all of you to move that project forward. ”
An interim leadership group will be led by Jose Ortiz, deputy director; Molly Kurzius, director of foreign affairs; and Ruba Katrib, curator of the museum, under the direction of Arison and Lowry.
“I’m grateful for everything she’s done for MoMA PS1 and wish her great success in whatever she takes on next,” Lowry said in an email.
“She puts the community and the artist first,” Gund said in an interview. “She was trying to make it work.”
Gund told The Times in April that she would like to see the MoMA PS1 stand alone from MoMA. Fowle at the time said she did not share that view, though she disagreed with the simile that her organization is the children and the MoMA is the parent. “I look at relationships from a collective impact perspective,” she says.
But people involved with both museums say that there has been tension between the two for a long time, as MoMA is stronger and still controls the PS1.
MoMA’s operating budget is significantly larger – close to $300 million – and it contributes 25 percent of the PS1’s $8 million budget, which includes 10 percent of its operational support and 15 percent of its operating budget. MoMA trusts and affiliated groups.
The PS1 – which has focused on experimental contemporary art since 1971 – in turn gives MoMA an additional programming dimension.
Those who worked closely with the UK-born Fowle were surprised by the announcement. “I was surprised,” said Jimmy Van Bramer, former chairman of the New York City Council Cultural Affairs Committee. “I think she’s a real thought leader and has done some great things with the museum. I will definitely miss her. ”
Coming to MoMA PS1 from Museum of Contemporary Art Garage in Moscow, where she was chief curator, Fowle was the first director to be appointed from outside the museum. Her predecessor, Klaus Biesenbach, began working as a curator there in 1995 and 2010. take over from the museum’s founder, Alanna Heiss. Known as the PS 1 Center for Contemporary Art since its founding in 1976, the museum unify in 2000 with MoMA and changed name in 2010 to MoMA PS1.
Fowle, who stepped up to the position of director shortly before the pandemic hit, faced financial losses that would challenge every cultural institution during the shutdown. MoMA PS1 had to reduce personnel from 64 to 17. (It was later scaled back to 55.)
In taking the museum in a more progressive direction, Fowle is seen by many as a marked departure from Biesenbach, who gifted the museum with an inscription.
Local activists say they appreciate MoMA PS1’s growing openness to social activism, specifically her creation of the Homeroom gallery, an exhibition space run by community groups co-in charge. Fowle also contacted House in Queensbridgelargest public housing project in the country.
She oversaw an effort to make the museum more community-friendly, creating a break in the exterior walls and adding amenities that allowed the courtyard to remain open when the building was closed. The city approved a $9 million capital fund last year for the project.
