After many months of uncertainty following Helen Harrison's announcement of her retirement last summer, Matthew K. Ward has been named the director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in Springs.
Mr. Ward is enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate at Stony Brook University, which owns and operates the site, and received a master's degree in art history and criticism from there as well. His academic focus has been on American early modernism and on Willem de Kooning's early career in the United States. He was also a researcher at the Willem de Kooning Foundation.
Before being named to this position, Mr. Ward was senior director of curatorial affairs at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas. There, he was in charge of exhibitions that included "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos" and "Warhol x Scholder: Cowboys & Indians." He also served as curator for the museum's series of solo exhibitions for emerging artists of color.
An educator as well, he was part of the Brooklyn Museum's ASK App team, which develops educational content, and has taught at Stony Brook, Hofstra University, and St. Joseph's College.
Ms. Harrison, who said late last year that the next director might not have the same curatorial focus as she had throughout her tenure, said in a release that she was "excited to hand over the reins" to Mr. Ward. "Matt has the perfect mix of scholarly expertise, programming background, and curatorial experience." She described him as "an outstanding leader who understands the historic site's mission and vision, and who will bring fresh ideas and new approaches to fulfilling them."
"The house, the studio, the works Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner created here -- these are indelible parts of this country's cultural history," Mr. Ward said. "I also see the P-K House as a venue in which visitors can connect with the work of our region's artists and scholars. . . . This is very much a living space."
