Next week, Kate Kraczon begins her new job as executive director of the Montclair Art Museum. Founded in 1914, the New Jersey institution was among the first in the country to organize itself in American art, a learning environment that now offers many opportunities. Kraczon, who arrives from the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University, takes over the position held since 1994 by Gail Stavitsky, and joins incoming director Todd Caissie during a major transition for the museum. We caught up with him to hear about his plans for the next chapter.
Congratulations on the new job. What excited you most about this role when you first heard about it?
Beyond its impressive collection and history of exhibitions, MAM has a dedicated audience and is a leader in accessibility and education programs. I was also struck by the unique history of the Montclair Art Museum School of Art, which merged with MAM in 1999, and how that can be a rage for both curators and artists.
He succeeds Gail Stavitsky, who has held the position of chief curator since 1994. What is it like to step into a role that has been created by a man for thirty years?
Gail has built a strong collection and exhibit history that I hope to build upon, with a program and acquisition strategy that is inspired by and honors that history. I have always loved the idea of revisiting thematic exhibits and health care proposals decades later as a productive way to exhibit and a way to extend the museum’s unique legacy of preservation and education.
He’ll be working closely with incoming director Todd Caissie, and he said his vision aligns with yours. What other dynamics of that partnership would you like to establish in these early months?
Todd and I have a really fun way of sharing what we do. We simply love spending time with artists, and people who love artists, and we want to share this love of art with as many audiences as possible. Stepping in as a new chief curator at the museum is also a time to think deeply and eagerly about how your exhibition program can live within the ecosystem that is already thriving at MAM and the art ecosystems of northern New Jersey and the wider region. I believe Todd feels the same way that this time is an opportunity to envision the future of MAM.
Your nomination announcement describes your practice as “intense collaboration,” as seen in your ambitious commissions, such as Alex da Corte and Jayson Musson. Easternsports (2014) at ICA Philadelphia. Can you tell me more about that project? What do you enjoy about working with live musicians?
Easternsports it was an example of how a curator can increase the power of an artist’s work, especially power that may not be object-based (and therefore marketable). I loved Jayson’s writing and Alex’s videos, and knew they wanted to collaborate. What the contemporary museum commissions allow are spaces for artists to explore without the pressure to sell. Most of the projects I’ve commissioned have been long-term discussions over time. Elisabeth Subrin and I started a conversation about what was going to happen in the end Listening Takes (2023) almost ten years before the opening of the installation at The Bell.
The Montclair was founded in 1914 as one of the first American museums to focus on Native American art, and it built an important collection of early Native American works. Works by Jeffrey Gibson, Wendy Red Star and Edgar Heap of Birds sit alongside John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent. How does a contemporary, artist-focused curator approach a collection with that kind of scope? Do you want to create conversations there?
Absolutely! That MAM has a curator of Native American art—the brilliant Laura Allen—who is dedicated to Native and Indigenous works in the collection, as well as launching new artist projects and curating exhibitions, was a key factor in my decision to join the museum. I look forward to developing a program with Laura that focuses on Native and Indigenous practices while allowing the tensions within the historical collective to respond to our present.
At ICA Philadelphia, he organized the first major US exhibition of Ree Morton in more than three decades. Was it fun to bring such an artist back to mind? Would you like to do similar projects in Montclair?
As someone who often focuses on putting lesser-known artists on a platform, most recently Bay Area octogenarian Franklin Williams, projects like the Morton retrospective have a purpose in honoring the artist and bringing that work to an expanding audience. Gallery size was a limitation at Brown University, and I was thrilled to be able to develop survey and retrospective exhibitions with ample gallery space. I’m already in discussions about a big retrospective in development with the Guardians working together!
You were a founding board member of artist-run spaces such as RAIR in Philadelphia and FR MOCA in Fall River. What lessons have you learned from these organizations that you can bring to a larger institution?
Working directly with artists to found an arts organization, whether it’s a residency program like RAIR or an exhibition and education space like FR MOCA, changed me. It provides access and insight into what artists need and informs when they can prioritize, and solves your understanding of how museums and major art institutions can better support artists.
At Bell, he built collaborations with international institutions such as Performa, Nottingham Contemporary and MACBA in Barcelona. Do you intend to pioneer a similar collaboration in Montclair?
Absolutely! The Bell was a true kunsthalle in both spirit and size: it had just over 3,000 square feet of gallery space. The MAM gallery is significantly larger and more elegant in scale, with high ceilings and excellent architectural flow. This will allow me to organize and participate in much larger exhibitions than I have been able to do at the Brown, as well as bring touring exhibitions organized by other museums in the New York Metro area that would otherwise not find a home on the East Coast or even within the United States.
Last question: Pork roll or Taylor ham?
Scrapple! I grew up in Pittsburgh but spent more of my adult life in Philadelphia than any other city. The only aspect of Philadelphia culture I refuse to accept is the Flyers. Let’s go Pens.
Many Art Conversations
