Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco has appointed Essence Harden as senior curator, effective May 18. Harden currently serves as curator of Expo Chicago and has organized the Focus section of Frieze Los Angeles since 2024, roles they will continue with YBCA's support. An independent curator, Harden recently co-curated the 2025 Made in L.A. biennial at the Hammer Museum and previously held positions at the California African American Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, Art + Practice, Museum of the African Diaspora, and Oakland Museum of California. A Bay Area native, Harden's hiring marks a homecoming.
The appointment matters because Harden brings a unique blend of museum and art fair experience, which YBCA CEO Mari Robles sees as key to building a bold, dynamic program connecting local Bay Area audiences with regional, national, and international conversations. Harden will develop public programming and exhibitions, including the 2028 Bay Area Now triennial, and their vision of the 'identity of the West'—a geography shaped by movement, cultural exchange, and uneven histories—aligns with YBCA's goal of entering a new era that balances its roots with expansive, global thinking.