Artspace announces Lisa Dent as Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Artspace is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Dent as its next Executive Director.  She will replace Helen Kauder, who announced her intention to pass the baton to new leadership in 2020.  Dent will begin her role at Artspace on May 1.

“Artspace has driven the cultural community in New Haven through its exhibitions and programs, launching the careers of artists and curators for decades,” said Dent.  “I have long admired Artspace’s vision and can’t wait to build on its legacy.”

“We are delighted that Lisa has agreed to join Artspace and look forward to her getting started,” said Board Chair Kim Moriarty.  “I would like to thank our Search Committee for their commitment to identifying such a superb candidate.  While Lisa has big shoes to fill, we are confident that she is up for the challenge and capable of leading the organization to new heights.”  Helen Kauder adds, “I have known and admired Lisa’s work for many years and had the pleasure of interacting with her during her time at Creative Capital in New York City.  I could not be more thrilled that she is coming to New Haven to bring her passion and extensive network to our community of artists.”

Dent’s curatorial roles in national museums and galleries, along with a multi-disciplinary nonprofit arts background, makes her uniquely qualified to lead Artspace.  Dent is currently Artistic Director for Converge45, a nonprofit organization that provides a curatorial platform for the visual arts in Portland, Oregon.  Prior to joining Converge45, Dent was Director of Resources & Award Programs at Creative Capital (2012-2017), leading the national nonprofit’s financial and advisory services programs and supporting artists towards the full realization of their projects.  As Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, Dent attracted resources for and organized exhibitions including Stephanie Syjuco: Pattern Migration, Currents: Latifa Echakhch and Supply & Demand.  Earlier, she was a Helena Rubenstein Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and held curatorial staff positions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She was director of the Friedrich Petzel Gallery in New York, and for several years owned and managed Lisa Dent Gallery in San Francisco (2004-2009), where she presented the work of emerging and mid-career international artists.

Dent received her B.F.A. in History of Art from Howard University, and received her M.F.A. from New York University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Triple Canopy, a New York-based digital art and literature magazine.