Robert Wiesenberger will become the Brooklyn Museum’s new senior curator of contemporary art, filling a post that has been vacant since in 2023.
“I’m elated,” Wiesenberger said in an email to ARTnews. “I love this museum—I used to go there weekly to sketch in the galleries, in rotation with visits to the botanic garden and the public library next door. To say that Brooklyn is full of incredible artists is an understatement. I’m eager to get to know them better and make the museum feel like home for them. I’m also excited to spend time with visitors in the galleries. The energy at the museum is extraordinary, and I want to build on that.”
Wiesenberger is currently a curator of contemporary art at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where his projects have included the first museum survey for Lin May Saeed, as well as presentations for artists ranging from Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio to Kandis Williams.
When he was hired by the institution, his appointment was announced by the New York Times, which noted that the museum had previously devoted much of its energy to Impressionism and other movements of the 19th century. He said at the time that he was focused on “putting my finger on the scale” by showing artists of diverse backgrounds who work in a diverse array of mediums, and he accomplished just that.
His post at the Brooklyn Museum was previously held by Eugenie Tsai, who left the museum in 2023 after 15 years in the role.
Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak said in a statement, “We are delighted to welcome Robert to our esteemed curatorial team at the Brooklyn Museum. His expertise and vision will undoubtedly expand
and enrich the stories we are able to tell. We look forward to his insightful contributions as we continue to deepen our cultural offerings .”
