Denise Markonish CCS ’99 Named Chief Curator of the Madison Square Park Conservancy

Denise Markonish CCS ’99, chief curator of Mass MoCA, has been named the new chief curator of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the nonprofit entrusted by the City of New York to operate Madison Square Park, which functions as a public garden, urban forest, wildlife habitat, and public art exhibition space. In June she will begin her new job stewarding the art program for the 6.2-acre park, which is used by 60,000 people daily, reports the New York Times. As a leader of Mass MoCA’s curatorial program since 2007, Markonish has worked with artists including Nick Cave, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Glenn Kaino, Teresita Fernandez and Jeffrey Gibson (Bard artist in residence) on commissions often the size of a football field, experience that is invaluable in approaching the large-scale work of the park. “I’ve built my career on doing large-scale commissions,” Markonish said. “And to do so now in such a public place and thinking outside the box of the walls of a museum will be an amazing challenge.”

Post Date: 03-25-2025