Jamillah James (born 1980) is an American curator. She is the Manilow Senior Curator at the

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary ...

Early life and education

James grew up in New Jersey. Her mother was a musician. James's early interest in music and film provided one way into the world of visual art. James attended

Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago is a Private college, private art college in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1890, it has 5,928https://about.colum.edu/effectiveness/pdf/spring-2021-student-profile.pdf students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergra ...

, where she was in the first class to study art history. She graduated in 2005. While in Chicago for college, James founded a DIY, live/work experimental music venue called Pink Section and later lived at the exhibition space Archer Ballroom, where she organized live music performances.

Career

Before moving to Los Angeles, James was an independent curator and held curatorial fellowships at the

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...

(2012-2014) and the

Queens Museum The Queens Museum, formerly the Queens Museum of Art, is an art museum and educational center located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, United States. The museum was founded in 1972, and has among its pe ...

(2010). James was Assistant Curator at the

Hammer Museum The Hammer Museum, which is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, is an art museum and cultural center known for its artist-centric and progressive array of exhibitions and public programs. Founded in 1990 by the entrepreneur- ...

. At the Hammer Museum she organized shows by

Alex Da Corte Alex Da Corte (born 1980) is an American conceptual artist who works in painting, sculpture, installation, and video. Da Corte often uses surreal imagery and everyday objects in his practice and explores ideas of consumerism, pop culture, mytholo ...

, Simone Leigh, and Charles Gaines. She also curated

Njideka Akunyili Crosby Njideka Akunyili Crosby (born 1983) is a Nigerian-born visual artist working in Los Angeles, California. Through her art Akunyili Crosby "negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collag ...

's first solo museum exhibition, and would later present Crosby at Art + Practice, a space founded by artist

Mark Bradford Mark Bradford (born November 20, 1961) is an American visual artist. Born in Los Angeles, Bradford studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Recognized for his collaged painting works, which have been shown internationally, his practice al ...

. In 2016 James was named curator at the

Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA), formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA), is a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, CA. As an independent and non-collecting art museum (or kunsthalle), it exhibits the w ...

. Upon her arrival she noted her plans to present a mixture of Los Angeles artists and international artists, and later described her goal of harnessing creative energy as a path to address a "turbulent political climate". In 2018 she spoke with ''The Los Angeles Times'' about "de-centering" whiteness in the art world. While in Los Angeles James curated exhibitions with artists Sarah Cain, Harold Mendez,

Nayland Blake Nayland is a village and former civil parish in the Stour Valley on the Suffolk side of the border between Suffolk and Essex in England. In 2011 the built-up area had a population of 938. In 1881 the civil parish had a population of 901. Hi ...

, B. Wurtz, and

Nina Chanel Abney Nina Chanel Abney is an American artist, based in New York. She was born in Harvey, Illinois. She is an African American contemporary artist and painter who explores race, gender, pop culture, homophobia, and politics in her work. Personal lif ...

. James' 2019 exhibit for Blake was described as a "thrilling iteration of the artist's thoughts...". In 2018 James and Margot Norton were announced as curators of the

New Museum The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is a museum in New York City at 235 Bowery, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. History The museum originally opened in a space in the Graduate Center of the then-named New Sc ...

's 2021 Triennial. In 2021 James was named Manilow Senior Curator at the

, and began her role in early 2022.

Other activities

In 2019, James served on the jury that chose

Kandis Williams Kandis Williams is an artist, writer, editor, and publisher. Williams has received critical acclaim for her collage art, performance art, and publishing work. Williams lives and works in Los Angeles and Berlin. Williams is known for her art explor ...

for the

’s $100,000 Mohn Award.

Awards and honors

In 2018, James received a fellowship from the VIA Art Foundation. In 2021, James was awarded the Ellsworth Kelly Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.; the Noah Davis Prize from the Underground Museum; and a curatorial fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Jamillah Living people American curators American women curators Columbia College Chicago alumni 1980 births