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The New School has appointed artist and educator Pablo Helguera director of its Vera List Center for Art and Politics. He also becomes director of the university’s art collection, succeeding Carin Kuoni at the center after her 22-year tenure.
Artist, educator and writer Pablo Helguera has been appointed director of the New School’s Vera List Center for Art and Politics, succeeding Carin Kuoni, who led the arts-driven research center for 22 years. Helguera has also been named director of the university’s collection of more than 2,000 postwar and contemporary works; he began the roles on Monday, November 2, according to Hyperallergic.
Helguera joins the center after six years at the New School, where he served as an assistant professor and directed the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship graduate program in the College of Performing Arts. Before that, he spent more than a decade as director of adult and academic programs at the Museum of Modern Art.
His work as an artist draws on social engagement, performance, installation and education, as well as archival research and traditional media. In a statement reported by Hyperallergic, Helguera described feeling urgency to “make sense of rapidly unfolding events, question prevailing narratives, and imagine alternative futures.”
Among Helguera’s projects is The School of Panamerican Unrest (2006), a journey by road from Anchorage, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. The project included more than 100 public engagement events in 25 cities across 20 countries. He also created Librería Donceles, a traveling used bookstore featuring Spanish-language books that visited 13 countries.
A New Direction for the Center
The appointment places leadership of the Vera List Center and the New School’s art collection with a person whose work spans artistic practice, university teaching and public programming. That combination is relevant to a center focused on art and politics, where exhibitions and research can connect with wider public discussions.
Helguera’s joint appointment also links the center’s leadership with oversight of a collection numbering more than 2,000 postwar and contemporary works. The source report does not describe any planned changes to collection policy, exhibitions or the center’s programs, so the practical effects of that arrangement are not yet known.
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Helguera’s New School Experience
Helguera is taking over from Carin Kuoni, whose 22 years as senior director and chief curator shaped the Vera List Center’s leadership. The report identifies the appointment as a succession, but does not say whether Kuoni will remain involved with the center or take on another role.
Helguera already has ties to the university through his work in its College of Performing Arts. His earlier museum role and projects across multiple countries give him experience in education and public-facing cultural work. The report also notes that he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008 and has received support from organizations including Franklin Furnace Archive, Art Matters and Blade of Grass, as well as a Creative Capital grant and an honorary doctorate from the Kansas City Art Institute.
““make sense of rapidly unfolding events, question prevailing narratives, and imagine alternative futures.””
— Pablo Helguera, in a statement reported by Hyperallergic
Plans for the Center Ahead
The appointment and Helguera’s start date are reported, but the source does not specify his initial priorities, future programming or changes to the center’s direction. It also gives no details on how leadership of the art collection will be organized alongside his duties at the center.
The report says Helguera began on Monday, November 2, but does not identify the year. It does not explain Kuoni’s next steps, either. Those details remain unconfirmed in the available report.
Helguera’s First Priorities
The next developments to watch are any announcements from the New School or the Vera List Center about Helguera’s programming plans, research priorities and approach to the university collection. The source report does not provide a schedule for such announcements or identify a first project under his leadership.
As Helguera assumes the roles, further details from the university could clarify how the center’s work will proceed after Kuoni’s long tenure and how the collection responsibilities fit into his new remit.
Key Questions
Who is the new director of the Vera List Center?
Pablo Helguera, an artist, educator and writer, has been appointed director of the New School’s Vera List Center for Art and Politics.
Who did Helguera succeed?
He succeeds Carin Kuoni, who led the center for 22 years as senior director and chief curator. The report does not state what Kuoni will do next.
What other role has Helguera taken on?
Helguera has also been named director of the New School’s art collection, which contains more than 2,000 postwar and contemporary works.
When did Helguera begin the job?
The report says he began on Monday, November 2, but does not specify the year.
What is known about Helguera’s plans?
Helguera spoke of wanting to make sense of unfolding events, question prevailing narratives and imagine alternative futures. Specific programming or collection plans have not been reported.
Source: hyperallergic.com
