A $2 million donation will permanently fund the most senior curatorial position at The Contemporary Austin, marking an expansion of the museum’s endowment and its long-term investment in programming.
The funding is designed to provide sustained support for exhibitions, artist commissions and research, as well as public-facing programs. Museum leaders said in a press release that it also reflects growing philanthropic backing for Austin’s cultural sector at a time of rapid population growth and increasing national attention.
The gift from board president Deborah Dupré establishes the Deborah Dupré Head Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, a newly named role held by Alex Klein, who currently leads the institution’s curatorial strategy. It is the first endowment contribution to the museum since 2013 and only the second named position in its history.
Dupré, who joined the museum’s board in 2017 and became president in 2022, has played a central role in shaping its recent expansion. During her tenure, the institution adopted a new strategic plan and raised an additional $3.5 million to support its implementation.
The announcement comes as the museum outlines an ambitious slate of exhibitions through 2027. Upcoming programming includes a major solo exhibition by Sable Elyse Smith in the spring, followed by a large-scale retrospective of Swedish artist Moki Cherry in the fall. A new collaborative commission between Austin-based choreographer Deborah Hay and artist Michael Smith is scheduled for spring 2027.
Recent exhibitions have paired internationally recognized artists with emerging voices, part of a broader strategy to position the museum as both a local anchor and a contributor to national and international contemporary art conversations.
Founded as the city’s only museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art, The Contemporary Austin operates two primary sites: the Jones Center downtown and Laguna Gloria, a 14-acre lakeside campus in West Austin.