José Esparza Chong Cuy has been appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator of Storefront for Art and Architecture. The Mexican architect, curator and writer will be taking over for Eva Franch i Gilabert, who was announced as the new director of the Architectural Association in London back in March.

Esparza Chong Cuy will assume the position beginning November 1st, 2018. He comes via the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), where he has served as the Pamela Alper Associate Curator since 2016. Prior to Chicago, his impressive CV includes stints at the Museo Jumex in Mexico, the Lisbon Architecture Triennial, the New Museum in New York, and some time spent at the Storefront as well as a Curatorial Associate.

"We are thrilled to welcome José to the helm of Storefront, the very institution where he began his curatorial career over a decade ago," remarked Charles Renfro, President of Storefront's Board of Directors. 

"Through his background and experiences in Mexico, the US, and globally, he embodies the broad perspectives that Storefront has become known for, bringing a critical voice to contemporary issues at every scale—from local and regional to national and international. We are excited to have him lead the vision for Storefront’s future," he added.

During his time at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Esparza Chong Cuy made it is his mission to spotlight a broad range of international and regional artists; he curated solo exhibitions of works by artists such as Tania Pérez Córdova and is currently working on a major retrospective of the work of Lina Bo Bardi, which he will continue to oversee as curator. 

His desire to expose audiences to a full range of works is something he will bring with him to the Storefront. About his return to New York, he said, the "Storefront for Art and Architecture has shaped me both personally and professionally in more ways than I can convey."

"Throughout the years, its founding mission has created and produced unique perspectives and understandings of the built environment to a broad range of audiences" he continued on. "Through my directorship, I will strive to carry on this legacy by continuing to build bridges across contexts and disciplines, and to provide new tools to navigate the complex world we live in."