Leia’s Lens: With new hires, the High Museum can frame both the future and the past

American art, modern and contemporary art and European art — central pillars of canonical Western art history, all of which have staff vacancies at the High Museum of Art.

With the departure of Dr. Claudia Einecke from the role of European art curator and the promotion of Katherine Jentleson and Michael Rooks to senior curator of American art and senior curator of modern and contemporary art, respectively, the High Museum now has three curatorial vacancies. The search for an American art curator, an assistant curator of modern and contemporary art and a European art curator will undoubtedly bring exceptional candidates from all over, resulting in the recruitment of world-class talent to a prestigious institution. Yet what is possibly more exciting is the potential these new hires possess for reframing and re-envisioning the institution.

Multiple times in the recent past, the High Museum has presented exhibitions hinged around rewriting historical narratives — a comeuppance for the erasure prevalent in eurocentric and racist views of art history. See: Patterns in Abstraction, Dutch Art in a Global Age, Hear Me Now, The Long Arc of Photography, Underexposed and so on. Without delving into the efficacy of these exhibitions in achieving their goals, the continued presentation of exhibitions in this vein makes clear that the High Museum is keen on reforming preconceived notions of contemporary and historical art. With the right recruitment, the museum will be able to continue this endeavor.

But, despite how integral these efforts are, revisions of the past should not be the only aspect of the museum’s program. The rewriting of history should be used as a springboard and learning opportunity by which to write the future.

My hope is that the talent hired to fill these positions at the High are individuals who have accountability for the past but make active steps toward framing a future. Where does European art go after it has taken full accountability for its exploitation and plundering of the Global South? What does American art look like when it accepts its culpability in the erasure and restriction of people of color from permanent collections and archives? How will modern and contemporary art advance when its exhibitions finally have an equitable presentation of artists from all demographics?

Individuals who can reckon with the past and frame the future will not only bring acclaim to their exhibitions and institution but lay the groundwork for those who follow.

Reactions? Email Leia at leiaslens@artsatl.org.

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Leia Genis is a trans artist and writer currently based in Atlanta. Her writing has been published in Hyperallergic, Frieze, Burnaway, Art Papers and Number: Inc. magazine. Genis is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design and is also an avid cyclist with a competition history at the national level.

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