MoMA Appoints Makeda Best as Photography Chief; ACC Awards $1.6M; Bosch Follower Painting Sells for $537K
Starting in September, Makeda Best will become the chief curator of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, taking over from interim curator Roxana Marcoci. Best is currently the deputy director for curatorial affairs at the Oakland Museum of California and has an MFA from CalArts and a PhD from Harvard. Since Clément Chéroux left in 2022, MoMA's photography department hasn't had a permanent leader. Meanwhile, the Asian Cultural Council awarded over $1.6 million to 70 grantees, including fiber artist Tan Yubing. Pace Gallery has reduced its staff, letting go of 50 artists and 50 employees. Carin Silkaitis has been appointed as provost at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Sotheby's sold a painting by a follower of Hieronymus Bosch for $537,600.
Key facts
- Makeda Best appointed chief curator of Photography at MoMA, starting September.
- Best holds MFA from CalArts and PhD from Harvard, researched Alexander Gardner.
- Best was photography curator at Harvard Art Museums (2017-2023).
- MoMA photography department lacked permanent leader since Clément Chéroux left in 2022.
- Roxana Marcoci served as interim head; Best succeeds her.
- Asian Cultural Council awarded over $1.6 million to 70 grantees.
- Tan Yubing received ACC grant to research Chinese puppetry in Penang and Indonesia.
- Pace Gallery cut 50 artists and laid off 50 workers; CEO Marc Glimcher cited 'model correction'.
- Mimi Ọnụọha, Nickola Pottinger, Sara Cwynar, Trisha Baga received 2026 Artists & Mothers grants.
- Carin Silkaitis appointed provost at Institute of American Indian Arts.
- Rana Begum represented by Lehmann Maupin with Kate MacGarry.
- Patricia Fernández Carcedo represented by Casey Kaplan.
- Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo announced artists for 39th Panorama da Arte Brasileira, opening September 12.
- Kulapat Yantrasast named artistic director of 2027 Bukhara Biennial.
- Philippe Vergne joins Bass Museum of Art as artistic director and chief curator.
- Painting 'Hell' by follower of Hieronymus Bosch sold for $537,600 at Sotheby's.
- Sale price over ten times high estimate; David Pollack credited 'image-driven market'.
- Buyer's identity not disclosed.
Entities
Artists
- Makeda Best
- Alexander Gardner
- Clément Chéroux
- Roxana Marcoci
- Tan Yubing
- Mimi Ọnụọha
- Nickola Pottinger
- Sara Cwynar
- Trisha Baga
- Carin Silkaitis
- Rana Begum
- Patricia Fernández Carcedo
- Kulapat Yantrasast
- Philippe Vergne
- Hieronymus Bosch
- David Pollack
- Christophe Cherix
- Glenn Lowry
- Jodi Hauptman
- Oluremi Onabanjo
- Edward Steichen
- Allan Sekula
- James Baldwin
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Oakland Museum of California
- California Institute of the Arts
- Harvard University
- Harvard Art Museums
- Asian Cultural Council (ACC)
- Pace Gallery
- Artists & Mothers
- Institute of American Indian Arts
- Lehmann Maupin
- Kate MacGarry
- Casey Kaplan
- Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo
- Bukhara Biennial
- Bass Museum of Art
- Sotheby's
- Museum of Modern Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- CalArts
- International Center of Photography
- Artnet News
- Farm Security Administration
- Oakland Museum
- Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Oakland
- California
- Penang
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Bukhara
- Miami Beach
- London
- Cambridge
- Paris
- France