Met appointment marks shift toward contemporary

Sheena Wagstaff has been appointed to the newly created position of chairman of the modern and contemporary art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, marking a curatorial shift towards contemporary art for the museum. Wagstaff succeeds Gary Tinterow, who left his position as chairman of the 19th-century, modern and contemporary art department to lead the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. With the announcement, 19th-century paintings will revert back to the European paintings department, creating a streamlined modern and contemporary department. Wagstaff comes to the museum from Tate Modern in London, where she has served as its chief curator since 2001. She spearheaded the Turbine Hall commissions at Tate Modern and is a founding member of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art’s international advisory committee. Wagstaff will start at the Met in late spring.

Published online 11 Jan 12