Dan Nadel, a critic known for championing overlooked American artists, has been appointed curator of drawings and prints at the Whitney Museum in New York. His appointment comes ahead of the opening of his upcoming Whitney exhibition “Sixties Surreal,” which will explore Surrealism’s impact on American art from 1958 to 1972. Nadel previously organized acclaimed shows at Karma gallery, including a pivotal 2018 exhibition of Gertrude Abercrombie, and has held curatorial roles at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The Whitney also announced the appointments of Jennie Goldstein as curator of the collection and Roxanne Smith as assistant curator of the collection.
This appointment matters because Nadel brings a track record of elevating marginalized and eccentric figures in American art history, potentially reshaping the Whitney’s holdings and programming in drawings and prints. His ability to boost market attention and scholarly interest in overlooked artists, as seen with Abercrombie, signals that the museum may continue to spotlight unconventional narratives. The simultaneous hiring of Goldstein and Smith also suggests a broader curatorial refresh at the Whitney, reinforcing its commitment to diversifying its curatorial voice.