Ebony L. Haynes, a director at David Zwirner since 2020 and founder of the gallery's affiliated space 52 Walker in 2021, has been promoted to the newly created position of global head of curatorial projects. In this role, she will oversee special exhibitions, projects, and collaborations with Zwirner's artists globally, while continuing to direct 52 Walker in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. The space has hosted 16 shows since opening in October 2021, featuring artists such as Kandis Williams, Nikita Gale, Nora Turato, and Raymond Pettibon, whose wrestling-themed drawings and live matches open tonight.
This promotion matters because it signals David Zwirner's commitment to expanding the curatorial vision of 52 Walker—a space launched in response to the Black Lives Matter protests to showcase Black curators and artists—to a global audience. It also reflects a broader trend of galleries creating senior curatorial roles to foster cross-location programming and artist collaborations, highlighting the growing influence of curators like Haynes in shaping institutional identity and diversity initiatives within the commercial art world.