The Marian Goodman Gallery Initiative in honor of the late Okwui Enwezor was conceived by artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, together with Marian Goodman and Marian Goodman Gallery to strengthen and expand educational and research opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) curators with ICI.
A curator, art critic, writer, poet, and educator, Okwui Enwezor (1963-2019) championed the agency of African art, challenged the long-established narrative of European and North American art, and embraced a global perspective that opened countless doors for new voices and critical inquiry in the curatorial field. In this spirit, the initiative will empower emerging curators and support their thinking and practice.
Since the Initiative launched in January 2021, the Initiative has made possible our Curatorial Intensive in Kampala, Uganda and eleven Curatorial Research Fellowships over four years, which are awarded annually to BIPOC curators based in the U.S. and to curators of African descent based internationally. These Fellowships enable early-to-mid career professionals to advance their practice through independent study, and develop new knowledge in contemporary art by providing mentorship, financial support, and travel opportunities. The programs enabled by the Marian Goodman Gallery Initiative in honor of the late Okwui Enwezor will continue to empower and sustain a more diverse generation of curators, and forge collaborative networks among curators, artists, and art spaces internationally.
