The Bronx Museum of the Arts has appointed Shamim M. Momin as its new director and chief curator.
Bringing her extensive experience from twelve years at the Whitney Museum of American Art where she co-curated two Whitney Biennials and directed the museum’s former Midtown Altria location, with her tenure set to begin in September 2025 as the institution prepares for the completion of a $42.9 million renovation of its South Wing expected to open in 2026.
Momin’s Whitney Museum Background
Momin brings extensive experience from her twelve-year tenure at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she served as Associate Curator of Contemporary Art and made significant contributions to the institution’s programming. Her most notable achievements include co-curating both the 2004 and 2008 Whitney Biennials, landmark exhibitions in the American contemporary art landscape.
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During her time at the Whitney, Momin also directed the museum’s former Midtown Altria location, where she was responsible for organizing exhibitions and commissioning new works by emerging artists. She oversaw the Contemporary Project Series and curated solo exhibitions for influential artists including Terence Koh (2007), Mark Grotjahn (2006), Raymond Pettibon (2005-06), and Banks Violette (2005). Her Whitney projects featured artists such as Andrea Zittel, Rob Fischer, Sue de Beer, Luis Gispert, Mark Bradford, and Do-Ho Suh, demonstrating her commitment to showcasing diverse contemporary voices.
LAND Public Art Initiative
The Bronx Museum has established itself as a vital hub for public art initiatives that connect diverse communities to contemporary artistic expressions throughout the borough. The museum’s commitment to public art extends beyond its walls through partnerships with organizations like the NYC Department of Transportation’s Urban Art Program, which has designated priority sites for temporary installations near mass transit locations in the Bronx. These collaborations have transformed urban spaces into galleries accessible to all residents.
Public art in the Bronx represents a rich tapestry of creative expression spanning from 19th-century works to WPA-era projects and contemporary installations supported by agencies including Percent for Art and the Public Art Fund. The museum’s engagement with public art is further exemplified through exhibitions featuring artists like Alicia Grullón, a Bronx-based multidisciplinary artist whose work critiques “the politics of presence” and advocates for inclusion of marginalized communities. Through initiatives like the AIM Fellowship, which nurtures promising NYC-based artists, the Bronx Museum continues to cultivate new voices that will shape the borough’s evolving public art landscape.
South Wing Renovation Project
The Bronx Museum’s transformative $33-43 million renovation project, designed by award-winning Marvel Architects, broke ground in July 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026. This ambitious redesign will unify the museum’s campus with several key improvements: reorienting the main entrance to the prominent corner of Grand Concourse and 165th Street, creating a continuous and fully accessible gallery loop, adding a triple-height lobby with an adjoining café, and incorporating large street-facing displays for rotating installations.
During construction, the museum’s North Wing remains open Wednesday through Sunday with free admission, while the south galleries are closed until completion. The renovation reflects community input and sustainability priorities, with careful consideration given to glazing and energy performance as part of NYC’s 80×50 program aimed at improving building energy efficiency. When completed, the new space will feature folded copper bronze panels that complement the Special Grand Concourse District’s architecture, creating what Marvel describes as “a new community living room for the Bronx” that strengthens the museum’s integration with the surrounding community, writes Perplexity.
Photo credit: Wiki.
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