Joseph Rosa, the John H. Bryan Curatorial Chair of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago has accepted the position of Director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, effective July 1, 2010.
He received his training as an architect, graduated with a B.Arch from Pratt Institute and an M.S. from Columbia, and worked for Peter Eisenman, Gwathmey Siegel & Assoc, and Agrest & Gandelsonas.
And his curatorial resume is even more amazing. Prior to his appointment at the Art Institute, he was the Helen Hilton Raiser Curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the curator of architecture at the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the chief curator at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and the director of the Columbia Architecture Galleries in New York.
This is an amazing acquisition for UMMA, and perhaps another significant chapter to add to the rich history of architecture in Michigan (Kahn, the Saarinens, Yamasaki, Libeskind, and Cranbrook come to mind, among many others). With Monica Ponce de Leon at the helm of Taubman College, and a new Chair of Architecture (noted scholars Milton Curry, John McMorrough, and Leslie Van Duzer are candidates) set to be named at the school within the month, I think this is an exciting time to be in the discipline and in Ann Arbor/Detroit.
Excited? Anyone besides me?
Of course, there are broader, more universal implications pertaining to architecture's role in curatorial practice. Does anyone know the history of trained architects leading art institutions? My assumption is that Rosa is not the first, but is he relatively rare?
Whoa. Joe is leaving AIC already, and Chicago, to go to Ann Arbor? Bizarre. I remember the Ann Arbor Art Musuem being some dinky little classical revival building with a plop sculpture in front of it. Joe's a super-smart guy, so if he's going there the institution must be much stronger than I recall or ever knew. Good for him!
More exciting is to hear Leslie van Duzer might be Chair in A2? Wow! That would be great, she was an awesome teacher when I was there.
UMich has a ton of money, that's for sure. Also sinisterminister I find your use of the word "acquisition" for a person very funny up there. it's a pretty good descriptor.
Oh, as to the much more interesting (not just gossip like my comment, that is) question of architects assuming roles in bigger cultural institutions: yes. I'm for it. Reed Kroloff directs Cranbrook Academy of Art, as one example, and Aaron Betsky in Cincinnati. Architects have the broad general cultural fluency to direct these kinds of institutions well, I believe. We have to be both: artists and business people, poets and pragmatists, all the dualities that creative direction requires.
allied works completed an addition to the umma a couple years ago. it's got a decent asian art collection among others. not the art institute of chicago, but better than being some dinky little classical revival building with a plop sculpture in front of it.
I had him for a theory class while in graduate school. Very resourceful guy and very helpful. If you wanted to do some research on a project, he probably has that architects phone number in his phone. I still can't believe he would leave Chicago!
Apr 14, 10 11:37 pm ·
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An architect to lead an art museum (Joseph Rosa to UMMA).
Joseph Rosa, the John H. Bryan Curatorial Chair of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago has accepted the position of Director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, effective July 1, 2010.
He received his training as an architect, graduated with a B.Arch from Pratt Institute and an M.S. from Columbia, and worked for Peter Eisenman, Gwathmey Siegel & Assoc, and Agrest & Gandelsonas.
And his curatorial resume is even more amazing. Prior to his appointment at the Art Institute, he was the Helen Hilton Raiser Curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the curator of architecture at the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the chief curator at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and the director of the Columbia Architecture Galleries in New York.
This is an amazing acquisition for UMMA, and perhaps another significant chapter to add to the rich history of architecture in Michigan (Kahn, the Saarinens, Yamasaki, Libeskind, and Cranbrook come to mind, among many others). With Monica Ponce de Leon at the helm of Taubman College, and a new Chair of Architecture (noted scholars Milton Curry, John McMorrough, and Leslie Van Duzer are candidates) set to be named at the school within the month, I think this is an exciting time to be in the discipline and in Ann Arbor/Detroit.
Excited? Anyone besides me?
Of course, there are broader, more universal implications pertaining to architecture's role in curatorial practice. Does anyone know the history of trained architects leading art institutions? My assumption is that Rosa is not the first, but is he relatively rare?
Whoa. Joe is leaving AIC already, and Chicago, to go to Ann Arbor? Bizarre. I remember the Ann Arbor Art Musuem being some dinky little classical revival building with a plop sculpture in front of it. Joe's a super-smart guy, so if he's going there the institution must be much stronger than I recall or ever knew. Good for him!
More exciting is to hear Leslie van Duzer might be Chair in A2? Wow! That would be great, she was an awesome teacher when I was there.
UMich has a ton of money, that's for sure. Also sinisterminister I find your use of the word "acquisition" for a person very funny up there. it's a pretty good descriptor.
Oh, as to the much more interesting (not just gossip like my comment, that is) question of architects assuming roles in bigger cultural institutions: yes. I'm for it. Reed Kroloff directs Cranbrook Academy of Art, as one example, and Aaron Betsky in Cincinnati. Architects have the broad general cultural fluency to direct these kinds of institutions well, I believe. We have to be both: artists and business people, poets and pragmatists, all the dualities that creative direction requires.
allied works completed an addition to the umma a couple years ago. it's got a decent asian art collection among others. not the art institute of chicago, but better than being some dinky little classical revival building with a plop sculpture in front of it.
all right, since that link didn't work, here's another.
Hopefully the Art Inst will finally be able to put together a decent architecture and design exhibit...
Had Joe for a semester at SCIarc a few years back. Cool dude, enjoyable class.
I had him for a theory class while in graduate school. Very resourceful guy and very helpful. If you wanted to do some research on a project, he probably has that architects phone number in his phone. I still can't believe he would leave Chicago!
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