Ryan N. Dennis Shares Nine Lessons on Curatorial Engagement and Leadership in New Publication
Ryan N. Dennis, senior curator at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston, presents nine principles from two decades of practice in a new resource. The essay, adapted from a June 2025 keynote at the Curating Engagement Retreat, appears in 'Curating Engagement (2026)', developed by the Wagner Foundation and Public Trust. Dennis's career includes roles at the Menil Collection, where the 2007 exhibition 'Lessons from Below' showcased gallery transformation. His volunteer work at Project Row Houses, founded by Rick Lowe in 1993, addressed audience inclusion. Dennis became Chief Curator at the Mississippi Museum of Art in 2020, co-curating 'A Movement in Every Direction' with Jessica Bell Brown. Currently, he leads 'Rebirth in Action' at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The publication debuts at the Curatorial Forum of Expo Chicago on April 10.
Key facts
- Ryan N. Dennis is senior curator and director of public initiatives at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston.
- The essay is adapted from a keynote at the Curating Engagement Retreat in June 2025.
- 'Curating Engagement (2026)' is a field resource by the Wagner Foundation and the Public Trust.
- Dennis's career includes work at the Menil Collection, Project Row Houses, the Laundromat Project, and the Museum for African Art.
- In 2020, Dennis became Chief Curator at the Center for Art and Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art.
- He co-curated 'A Movement in Every Direction' with Jessica Bell Brown.
- Current project 'Rebirth in Action' involves the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy and artist Theaster Gates.
- The publication debuts at Expo Chicago's Curatorial Forum on April 10 with Independent Curators International.
Entities
Artists
- Ryan N. Dennis
- Otabenga Jones & Associates
- Rick Lowe
- bell hooks
- Jane Alexander
- Joseph Beuys
- Grant Kester
- Jessica Bell Brown
- Theaster Gates
Institutions
- Contemporary Art Museum Houston
- Wagner Foundation
- Public Trust
- Menil Collection
- Project Row Houses
- Laundromat Project
- Museum for African Art
- Mississippi Museum of Art
- Center for Art and Public Exchange
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy
- City of Houston
- Independent Curators International
- Expo Chicago
- Curatorial Forum
Locations
- Houston
- United States
- Third Ward
- New York
- Harlem
- Mississippi
- Baltimore
- Chicago