The Brooklyn Museum on Jan. 29 named Robert Wiesenberger its new Barbara and John Vogelstein Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, bringing a widely respected curator, scholar and educator to one of the institution’s most visible leadership roles.
Wiesenberger joins the Museum from the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., where he most recently served as Curator of Contemporary Projects.
Wiesenberger’s appointment strengthens its commitment to bold, forward-looking storytelling in contemporary art, according to museum leadership. Known for his rigorous scholarship and experimental approach to exhibition-making, Wiesenberger is expected to play a key role in shaping how the museum presents the art of our time and connects it to Brooklyn’s global creative communities.
Wiesenberger will officially begin his role on March 2. As senior curator, he will oversee efforts to grow the contemporary art collection through strategic acquisitions of works with strong cultural and historical significance.
“We are delighted to welcome Robert to our esteemed curatorial team at the Brooklyn Museum,” said Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director. “His expertise and vision will undoubtedly expand and enrich the stories we are able to tell. We look forward to his insightful contributions as we continue to deepen our cultural offerings.”
Wiesenberger will also expand the museum’s relationships with artists in Brooklyn and beyond, including through continued development of The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, which launched in 2024. In addition, he will lead new thematic and monographic exhibitions that aim to broaden the contemporary art canon.
During his tenure at the Clark Art Institute, Wiesenberger organized a series of notable exhibitions featuring emerging and midcareer artists, many receiving their first solo presentations at a major institution.
“It’s a tremendous honor to join a museum known for its audacious exhibitions and its service to a truly extraordinary community,” Wiesenberger said. “Brooklyn is home to more creative energy than almost anywhere on earth, and I am humbled and thrilled to be a part of one of its most essential institutions.”
Alongside his curatorial practice, Wiesenberger has spent the past seven years teaching in the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, where he led seminars, workshops and advised graduate theses.
Earlier in his career, Wiesenberger served as a critic in the Yale School of Art’s MFA graphic design program and held a curatorial fellowship at the Harvard Art Museums. His research interests span ecology and the more-than-human world, artists’ books, print culture plus architecture and design. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a PhD from Columbia University.
