Skip to page content

Leadership

Leadership

Thelma Golden

Director and Chief Curator

Thelma Golden is the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, the world’s leading institution devoted to visual arts by artists of African descent. She began her career in 1987 as an intern at the Studio Museum, then joined the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1988. Golden returned to the Studio Museum in 2000 as the deputy director for exhibitions and programs and was named the director and chief curator in 2005. In 2015, the museum announced plans to create a new facility designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson. The new building will be the Studio Museum’s first purpose-built facility since its founding in 1968.
Thelma Golden is the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, the world’s leading institution devoted to visual arts by artists of African descent. She began her career in 1987 as an intern at the Studio Museum, then joined the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1988. Golden returned to the Studio Museum in 2000 as the deputy director for exhibitions and programs and was named the director and chief curator in 2005. In 2015, the museum announced plans to create a new facility designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson. The new building will be the Studio Museum’s first purpose-built facility since its founding in 1968.

Chakshu Patel

Chief Advancement and External Affairs Officer

Debra White

General Counsel & Chief Operating Officer

Terrence Phearse

Chief of Staff

Board of Trustees

As of July 1, 2023

Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman

Carol Sutton Lewis, Vice-Chair

Rodney M. Miller, Sr., Treasurer

Jacqueline L. Bradley, Secretary

Nicholas Antoine

Laura Day Baker

Dr. Anita Blanchard

Peter A. Boyce, II

Kathryn C. Chenault

Joan S. Davidson

Gordon J. Davis, Esq.

Damien R. Dwin

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Sandra Grymes

Arthur J. Humphrey Jr.

Russ Hutchinson

C. C. Melvin Ike

George L. Knox
Nancy Lane*
Dr. Michael L. Lomax
Bernard I. Lumpkin
Suzanne McFayden
Dr. Amelia Ogunlesi
Holly Peterson
Victoria Rogers
Troy Taylor
Ann G. Tenenbaum
Reginald Van Lee
Lise Wilks
Danielle Cooper Williams




*In memoriam

Ex-Officio

Hon. Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City

Hon. Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs

Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator