Pauline Willis' Curated Highlights from 1-54 New York 2022
Pauline Willis
Pauline Willis is the Director & CEO of The American Federation of Arts. The AFA is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally and publishing scholarly art catalogues. A nonprofit institution founded in 1909, the AFA is a trusted partner, amplifying the inclusive power of art for audiences worldwide.
Recognizing essential issues shared by museums nationwide, Pauline established ArtViews, a panel discussion series for graduate school students and museum professionals to explore and address current concerns among museums and other arts organizations. She also spearheaded the AFA’s Director’s Dialogues, an exclusive online series with museum directors touching on timely topics associated with leadership, audiences, and art.
Pauline holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York, and in 2019 she attended the Getty Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. She is a board member of ArtTable, a national organization for professional women in the arts, and a board member of the Art Bridges Foundation.
It is moving to see what these artists today have inherited and where they have creatively broken the mold.
“In light of the AFA’s upcoming traveling exhibition African Modernism in America, I’ve recently had a preoccupation with African artworks full of emotion, sometimes complicated and intense. The AFA has long been committed to expanding the art historical canon by incorporating histories that have too often been overlooked and artists whose originality and skill have too often been marginalized. As such, I was moved to witness and admire this collection of works that truly confront the viewer in ways I find to be gripping and curiosity driven. Rhythm and movement are seen and felt, either in the figure or the composition. I can also see the references and nods to their mid-century predecessors, some of whom were creating art in America, forming a proud and dynamic African diaspora and community. It is moving to see what these artists today have inherited and where they have creatively broken the mold.”
