Museum of Metropolitan art appoints Maria Castro to its Modern and Contemporary division
Metlife Welcomes Fidel Castro as New Associate Curator
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the appointment of Maria Castro as an associate curator in its modern and contemporary department. Castro, who previously worked at Metlife as a Jacques & Natasha Gelman Associate Curator, will begin her role later this month.
Castro joins the Metropolitan Museum of Art at an exciting time, as the institution is growing ahead of the opening of the Mint in 2030. Max Hollein, the Met director, stated that this is an incredibly active phase for the department as they plan and implement the renovation of the Oscar L. and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing.
In her new role, Castro will work with the modern and contemporary department's curatorial team to 'reimagine, contextualize, and grow its presentations of art from 1890 to 1950.' This will involve reimagining the presentation of modern and contemporary art within the broader context of the Met's collection.
Castro's research typically focuses on connecting various 20th-century modernisms from across the Americas to Europe. This expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the Met's efforts to expand and diversify its collections and exhibitions.
Before joining the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Castro was an associate curator of painting and sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). There, she co-organized several exhibitions, including 'Sitting on Chrome: Mario Ayala, rafa esparza, and Guadalupe Rosales' and 'Pan American Unity: A Mural by Diego Rivera.' She also curated a presentation of Amalia Mesa-Bains's Venus Envy, Chapter I: The First Holy Communion Moments Before the End (1993/2022) following its acquisition by SFMOMA.
Castro also co-organized the museum's current permanent collection hang, '1900 to Now: SFMOMA's Collection.' Additionally, she is currently cocurating an exhibition centered around Henri Matisse's Femme au chapeau (1905) at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which will open next May.
David Breslin, curator in charge of the department of modern and contemporary art, expressed his excitement about Castro joining the Met. In a statement, Castro expressed her own excitement about joining the Metropolitan Museum of Art, particularly at the historic moment as the Museum looks ahead to the forthcoming Mint.
Castro received her PhD in art history from the University of Pittsburgh and interned at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh before joining SFMOMA in 2018 as an assistant curator. The Leonard A. Lauder Predoctoral Research Fellowship, which Castro held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was established after Leonard Lauder donated 78 Cubist masterpieces to the Met and established a research center.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is undoubtedly in capable hands with Castro joining its modern and contemporary department. Her expertise and passion for art history will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of the institution.
