The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has named Erica DiBenedetto as its new curator.
DiBenedetto will steward approximately 10,000 objects in the Chazen’s collection of paintings, sculpture, glass, ceramics and multi-media works. She will also guide student research and hire and mentor undergraduate and graduate students at UW-Madison.
“As the Chazen Museum of Art embarks on a transformative reinstallation of the permanent collection, Erica DiBenedetto’s oversight of the Chazen’s non-works on paper holdings will play a pivotal role in shaping a museum experience that is accessible, engaging and resonates with a global audience. Her expertise will advance new scholarship and illuminate fresh perspectives within the Chazen’s collection,” Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at UW-Madison, said in a statement.
DiBenedetto joins the Chazen Museum of Art from The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where she served as a curatorial assistant and curatorial associate in the department of painting and sculpture. Her most recent work involved traveling to Algeria, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe to interview artists and access art collections and archives.
“The Chazen Museum of Art’s commitment to contemporary African art initially drew me to this role. I quickly became enamored with how the Chazen inspires experimentation on campus and beyond. What excites me most about being part of a research university is the opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty across disciplines, helping the Museum be both a resource for the academic community as well as a site of learning and discovery for the community at large,” DiBenedetto said in a statement.
The appointment begins April 6.
