Bill Horrigan, a pioneering curator who transformed Ohio's Wexner Center for the Arts into a leading destination for film and video art, died on May 15 after a long battle with amyloidosis. Over 34 years at the Columbus museum, he built a celebrated film and video program that attracted world-renowned artists like Chris Marker and Julia Scher, and organized landmark exhibitions for Mark Dion, Gretchen Bender, and Shirin Neshat. He also served as a curatorial adviser for the 2008 Whitney Biennial, helped program the Video Data Bank, and led the 1989 edition of Video Against AIDS.
Horrigan's death marks the loss of a visionary who legitimized moving-image art within major museums, paving the way for institutions worldwide to embrace film and video as serious artistic mediums. His cross-disciplinary approach—spanning experimental cinema, video installations, and contemporary art—expanded the boundaries of curatorial practice. Colleagues including Donna de Salvo and Helen Molesworth called him a "legend," underscoring his lasting influence on the art world's engagement with time-based media.