The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) has announced that Jova Lynne will become its first Artistic Director effective April 3, 2023. Lynne has a long curatorial history with the museum, having joined in 2017 as a Ford Foundation Curatorial Fellow before becoming the Susanne Feld Hilberry Senior Curator in 2019. She will co-lead the museum alongside Marie Madison-Patton, who was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer. Lynne will lead the curatorial team to develop the museum’s artistic vision, exhibition schedule, and accompanying programming, while Madison-Patton will oversee the museum’s operations and development activities.
“We are thrilled that Jova is returning to MOCAD as our Artistic Director,” said Lynn Arsht Gandhi, Co-Chair of the museum’s Board of Directors. “Her dedication to contemporary art and community building in Detroit is undeniable and will be a critical part of the museum’s continued success.”
Lynne, who completed a Bachelor’s degree in video art and education at Hampshire College and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art, has curated several notable exhibitions at MOCAD, including Nep Sidhu: Paradox of Harmonics, dream hampton’s Fresh Water, 2+2=8: Thirty Years Heidelberg, Dual Vision, Amna Asghar: Well Wishes, and many more. She has also worked at the Museum of Moving Image in Queens, New York, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. Lynne’s experience as both an artist and a curator informs her mission to facilitate inclusive and creative ecosystems.
“Detroit is a city that is close to my heart and has played an integral role in my growth as a curator and artist,” said Lynne. “Returning to a city and institution that I love and that has shaped the trajectory of my practice is a great honor. I am thrilled to rejoin the museum and its hard-working team as we present our Spring 2023 exhibition program. And I look forward to working with Marie as we steward MOCAD’s legacy of presenting the best in contemporary art.”
MOCAD’s spring season opens on April 14, featuring shows by Sydney G. James, Liz Cohen, Gina Osterloh, Jennifer Harge and Devin Drake, and a MOCAD collaboration with The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and the Michigan Justice Fund titled Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan. Additionally, the museum has recently brought on Paul Andrews to serve as Director of Development, who will report to Madison-Patton. Andrews comes to MOCAD from the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY, where he served as Chief Development Officer. He has nearly a decade of experience leading fundraising efforts at arts and culture organizations, primarily in MI.
MOCAD’s spring/summer 2023 exhibitions are made possible with generous lead support from Pensole Lewis HBCU, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Michigan Justice Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Additional support has been provided by the Kettering Family Foundation and Linda and David Whitaker.
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