The Modern Ancient Brown Foundation (MAB) has proudly announced the appointment of Detroit native Taylor Renee Aldridge as its new Executive Director, effective September 1, 2024. Aldridge, who previously served as the Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager at the California African American Museum (CAAM) in Los Angeles, brings a wealth of experience and a unique vision to her new role. Her approach to leadership centers on supporting artists and scholars through every phase of their creative journey, challenging traditional grantmaking and fellowship models that emphasize the end product over the creative process.
In expressing her excitement about this new chapter, Aldridge shared, “I am honored to initiate my homecoming to Detroit as Modern Ancient Brown’s Executive Director. Supporting artists is a holistic process that must prioritize interpersonal care and mutual aid as much as professional mentorship and critique. I have long admired McArthur Binion’s practice and vision for the Foundation, and I am thrilled to be part of its legacy, where I will expand upon the arts ecosystem in the city I call home.”
In her new role, Aldridge plans to broaden the Foundation’s programs, making them accessible to Detroit’s artistic community and offering resources for anyone looking to cultivate their artistic practice. Her vision includes providing thoughtful relationships, workshops led by prominent artists and arts professionals, and resources that will help strengthen the city’s already vibrant and evolving arts landscape.
“When it came time to elect a new Executive Director, Taylor was the obvious choice,” said the Board of Trustees. “Her deep connection to Detroit and its arts ecosystem, combined with her commitment to fostering cooperative economies and mutual aid, aligns perfectly with the Foundation’s mission. Taylor brings an ethos of trust, connection, and care that is essential to the sustainability of any artist’s career, and we are confident that she will continue to contribute meaningfully to the city’s ongoing revitalization without extracting from its artists.”
Aldridge’s curatorial and writing practice has always focused on supporting the livelihoods of living artists, while also exploring the complex and intimate relationships involved in artmaking. In 2014, she co-founded ARTS.BLACK, a respected online journal of art criticism written from Black perspectives, alongside writer Jessica Lynne. Her curatorial achievements include exhibitions at the CAAM, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Cranbrook Art Museum, among others. Aldridge’s editorial contributions are equally notable, with recent projects such as Enunciated Life (CAAM, 2021) and Mario Moore | Enshrined: Presence + Preservation (Charles H. Wright Museum, 2021). Her forthcoming book, All These Liberations: Women Artists in the Eileen Harris Norton Collection (Yale University Press, 2024), is highly anticipated.
Some of her most celebrated exhibitions include Simone Leigh (2024, CAAM & LACMA), Darol Olu Kae: Keeping Time (2023, CAAM), and LaToya Ruby Frazier: The Last Cruze (2021, CAAM). Her writing has appeared in major art publications like Artforum, The Art Newspaper, Art21, and ARTNews. Aldridge is a recipient of prestigious awards, including the 2016 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant and the 2019 Rabkin Foundation Award for Art Journalism. She holds an MLA from Harvard University, focusing on Museum Studies, and a BA in Art History from Howard University.
Although Aldridge has lived and worked across both the east and west coasts, Detroit has remained the guiding force in her career. She draws inspiration from the city’s legacy as a hub of revolutionary labor movements and its history of fostering creativity and communal interdependence. Now, as she steps into her new role at the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation, Aldridge sees the potential to reshape how Detroit-based artists are supported, recognized, and cared for on both national and global stages.
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