Powerhouse Arts, a nonprofit creative production facility in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood, has appointed Liz Munsell as its new Vice President of Curatorial and Arts Programs. Munsell, who previously held senior curatorial roles at the Jewish Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, succeeds Diya Vij following Vij's appointment as New York City’s cultural affairs commissioner. Alongside Munsell, the organization hired Constanza Valenzuela, formerly of High Line Art, as associate curator to support the expansion of its exhibition and residency programs.
This leadership transition signals a strategic shift for Powerhouse Arts as it seeks to redefine the role of the contemporary art institution by focusing on production and technical resources rather than traditional collecting. Munsell’s extensive experience with major retrospectives and her advocacy for institutional equity through 'Museums Moving Forward' suggest that Powerhouse aims to bridge the gap between high-level curatorial rigor and grassroots artistic fabrication, potentially serving as a new model for sustainable, artist-centered nonprofit spaces.