Kathleen Goncharov, an artist and curator who worked at influential US organizations including Just Above Midtown and Creative Time, died on 31 December at age 73. She most recently served as senior curator at the Boca Raton Museum of Art from 2012 until her retirement in 2024, and previously held positions at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the MIT List Visual Arts Center, and the New School. Goncharov also served as commissioner of the US Pavilion at the 2003 Venice Biennale, curating Fred Wilson's solo project. She had a solo exhibition of her abstract paintings at Olympia gallery in New York in 2022.
Goncharov's significance lies in her artist-centered curatorial approach, which helped numerous artists realize ambitious projects across public art, glass, and thematic exhibitions. Artists including Tony Oursler, Maren Hassenger, and Petah Coyne praised her sensitivity to process and her ability to let artists' voices guide her exhibitions, rather than imposing a predetermined vision. Her career bridged pioneering spaces for underrepresented artists, major university museums, and a Florida institution, reflecting a lifelong commitment to supporting artists across diverse media and contexts.