The Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey has hired Kate Kraczon as its new chief curator, replacing Gail Stavitsky. Kraczon previously served as director of exhibitions and chief curator at the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University, where she was terminated last December amid university layoffs. At the Bell, she organized the only US screening of "Prisoners of Love, 2025" by Palestinian artists Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, and an exhibition of Julien Creuzet's work originally shown at the French Pavilion in the 2024 Venice Biennale. Before Brown, she worked as a curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Philadelphia, where she organized the 2018 show "Ree Morton: The Plant That Heals May Also Poison."
This appointment matters because Kraczon brings a contemporary, artist-focused curatorial practice to a museum known for its public engagement and education programs. Her track record of organizing politically engaged exhibitions—including work by Palestinian artists and a Venice Biennale participant—signals a continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Montclair Art Museum. The hire also highlights ongoing staffing shifts in the museum sector, as institutions navigate austerity measures and leadership transitions.