Laura Phipps has been appointed as the director of the Gochman Family Collection, a significant private collection primarily focused on contemporary Indigenous art. Phipps joins the organization following a distinguished 15-year tenure at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she most recently served as an associate curator. In her new role, she succeeds Zach Feuer and will oversee a collection of over 750 works while managing the development of a new 10,000-square-foot public-facing exhibition space in Katonah, New York.
This appointment marks a significant transition for the Gochman Family Collection as it shifts from a private residence-based model to a more public institutional presence. By securing a high-profile curator from a major museum like the Whitney, the collection signals its ambition to become a central hub for contemporary Native American art. The new Westchester facility, which includes artist residencies and studio spaces, reflects a growing trend of private collectors establishing sophisticated, accessible platforms that function as alternative institutions to traditional museums.