Art Movements: New Leaders Everywhere

Plus, Amy Sherald signs with the Creative Artists Agency and the Whitney Museum’s head-scratching “cosmic look” at its 2026 Biennial artists.

Art Movements, published every Thursday afternoon, is a roundup of must-know news, appointments, awards, and other happenings in today’s chaotic art world.

Creative Time Gets New Director

Jean Cooney is joining Creative Time as executive director starting in February. Cooney, who earned our sincere respect in 2022 for publicly defending the Port Authority Bus Terminal, is currently director of Times Square Arts and vice president of Arts and Culture at the Times Square Alliance. At Creative Time, she succeeds Justine Ludwig, recently named the creative director of PST Art at the Getty. It's not Cooney's first rodeo at the institution — she previously worked at Creative Time for seven years, up until 2019, facilitating projects including Kara Walker's acclaimed installation at the former Domino Sugar factory. Congratulations, Jean! But won't you miss commuting to Times Square?

What Else Happened?

• Sally Tallant, who led the Queens Museum for a seven-year period marked by expansion and controversy, is stepping down from her role as president and executive director. Read more on Hyperallergic.
• Yasha Grobman was named the director general of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. He takes over from Suzanne Landau, who stepped down as interim director in January.
• Kristen Shepherd was named president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her appointment comes amid financial instability for the school, which axed its degree-earning programs in response to a budget deficit.
• Amy Sherald has signed with talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). She continues to be represented by Hauser & Wirth gallery.
• The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs announced Marisa Sage as the new executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Art.
• Antonio Paucar is the winner of the Artes Mundi 11 prize, bestowed by the Wales-based organization Artes Mundi and the Bagri Foundation. Sancintya Mohini Simpson won the Derek Williams Trust Artes Mundi Purchase Prize.

Wildcard

Have you ever wondered how many of the artists in the Whitney Biennial are Scorpios? No? Me neither. In fact, we're scratching our heads at the Whitney Museum of American Art's recent Instagram post offering "a cosmic look" at its 2026 Biennial cohort, a breakdown of this edition's 56 participants by astrological sign and element. Cancer and Leos lead the pack, the museum notes, cryptically adding: “Emotion meets spotlight.” Will they have birth charts instead of wall labels? The stars say ... the Whitney's social media team needs a vacation. I joke, I joke. I can't help it — it's the Aries in me. ;)

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