The Philadelphia Museum of Art Announces Curatorial Director for Newly Established Center for African and African Diasporic Art
Imani Roach joins the PMA from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to become the Center’s Inaugural Director
Philadelphia, April 30, 2024 — The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Imani Roach as its inaugural director and curator of the newly created Brind Center for African and African Diasporic Art. Announced in 2022, the Brind Center is endowed by Trustee Ira Brind and will focus on expanding the scope and reach of the museum’s collection of art from across Africa, the Americas and the wider African diaspora.
In her role as curatorial director, Roach will lead the acquisition of artworks, focus on special exhibitions and gallery installations as well as publications and symposia and promote career development in the field of African and African diasporic art. She will work closely with the PMA’s Learning and Engagement Division and with the curatorial team across the museum. Roach will also partner with institutions of similar missions regionally, nationally, and internationally.
“We are excited to have Imani’s passion and expertise for the arts of Africa and its diaspora at the PMA,” said Sasha Suda, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “This marks a new chapter for us and reflects our commitment to reimagining the future of the museum.”
“I am humbled to have been entrusted with building a home for African and Afro-Diasporic art at the PMA and energized by the work ahead,” said Roach. “This is a transformative moment for the institution and its relationship to the city of Philadelphia. As a longtime Philly cultural worker, I look forward to contributing to the city's profound legacy of nurturing and celebrating the ties between Africans on the continent and around the world.”
Roach comes to the PMA from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where she has been a key member of the curatorial team for the Arts of Africa since 2021. During that time, she has engaged in research and planning for the renovation and reinstallation of The Met's African art galleries within the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, a landmark project scheduled to open to the public in 2025. A specialist in mid-twentieth-century African modernism, Roach earned a BA in art history from Stanford University and an MA in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University. Her doctoral research, also undertaken at Harvard, explores the photographic legacy of DRUM magazine, a critical outlet for black South African voices during the period of apartheid.
A proud Philadelphia resident since 2012, Roach is a dedicated and skilled educator who has developed curricula and led courses on the Arts of Africa at Haverford College, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Moore College of Art & Design, and the University of the Arts, as well as California College of the Arts. She has also been an active participant in the city’s vibrant creative community as both a vocalist and a visual artist. Roach’s art has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and at SPACES gallery in Cleveland, as well as at Philadelphia’s own Vox Populi, where she was a member from 2015 to 2020.
“The stories we tell through art, and the diversity of our collection, matters,” said PMA Board Trustee Ira Brind. “This newly created center, led by Imani, will offer a platform for new curatorial voices whose lived and scholarly experiences will usher in a new chapter at our museum. The Brind Center will also be a gathering space serving to welcome and celebrate the important role of African and Afro-Diasporic Art, particularly in offering opportunities for Philadelphia’s diverse community to engage with and be inspired by this important part of our shared history. I couldn’t be happier to play a role in supporting this mission.”
Media Contact:
Maggie Fairs, Philadelphia Museum of Art
E: maggie.fairs@philamuseum.org
M: (215) 684-7862
About the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a national and international destination for art, but first, we are Philadelphia’s Museum of Art—for all the many diverse communities of the city. Through our collections, exhibitions, events, educational activities, celebrations, and more, the PMA is a storyteller, and we welcome everyone to be part of the story—our doors are wide open. To learn more, visit www.philamuseum.org.
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