PANEL
Carla Acevedo-Yates
ASSISTANT CURATOR, ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD ART MUSEUM, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, LANSING, MI
Carla Acevedo-Yates is a curator, researcher, and art critic. She earned an M.A. in Curatorial Studies and Contemporary Art at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (Ramapo Curatorial Prize) and a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Cultures from Barnard College, Columbia University (Clara Schifrin Memorial Spanish Prize in Poetry).
A recipient of a 2015 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant, she is currently working on an article that examines the queer semiotics in Zilia Sánchez’s work. Recent projects include Corporalidades and Crónica (o) at Fundación Casa Cortés, Turn on the bright lights at the Hessel Museum of Art (Ramapo Curatorial Prize), and Soy Isla: A conversation on and around Zilia Sánchez at Artists Space Books and Talks. Her writing has appeared in Art Agenda, Small Axe: A Caribbean Platform for Criticism, Artpulse, La Tempestad, Mousse, and South as a State of Mind. She was a curatorial resident at Espaço Fonte (Recife, Brazil) in 2014 and R.I.C. (Santiago, Chile) in 2015. In December 2016, Acevedo-Yates co-curated Take Five, an inaugural site-specific exhibition and performance series on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She is the curator for Mecanismos at MECA 2017, International Art Fair, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Jennifer Francis
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART, PHILADELPHIA, PA
Jennifer Francis joined the Philadelphia Museum of Art staff in August of 2012 after nearly nine years as Head of Press and Marketing at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Successes there include significant contributions to the exhibitions program, increased visitor attendance, more effective corporate communications, improved public and media awareness, delivery of comprehensive marketing solutions, and an enhanced institutional reputation as a premier cultural institution.
Under her new role as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ms. Francis oversees the Museum’s Marketing and Communications Division, which is responsible for brand, tourism, digital and social, internal communications, tone of voice, editorial and graphic design, marketing and advertising, and press and media relations.
Interested in the field of marketing from an early age, Ms. Francis received her MA in Cultural Leadership and Policy
Management at City University. She has worked as Public Relations Executive at London and Provincial Antique Dealers Association; Head of Media Relations at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Head of Media Relations at the Royal College of Art; Director of Communication at the Drum Art Center, and as an public relations executive for LAPADA; in addition to running a Public Relations consultancy and providing services to a number of high profile organizations in Great Britain including the London Tourist Board and Royal Opera House.
Ms. Francis’s goals for her role align with the Museum’s mission of amplifying its voice in the local, regional, national, and international cultural community, re-activating the collection and attracting new audiences. She has a unique talent for identifying “the big idea” through visitor studies, integrated marketing, and focus on key themes within the Strategic Plan that will resonate with various stakeholders.
Ms. Francis was drawn to her profession by a deep interest in consumer behavior, and her expertise has come from a life spent examining it. In addition to her work at the Museum, she is an Adjunct Lecturer on Museum Marketing at Drexel University and a Board Member of ArtTable, ICOM-US, Fleisher Art Memorial and the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. Previously, she served as a member of the National Museums Directors Conference Marketing Committee, National Consumer Council, Radio Authority and the Arts Council England – London region.
A self-described “arts junkie,” Ms. Francis enjoys painting and exploring Philadelphia and its arts and culture scene
– as both a visitor who loves the art on display and as a consummate professional who notes signage and messaging.
Kimberly Light
PARTNER, ART ADVISORY, CONNELLY & LIGHT LLC, NEW YORK, NY
Connelly & Light is a full service art advisory firm committed
to building a strong art historical foundation to any successful collection. The firm strongly believes that the collecting process
is an exciting opportunity for personal growth as well as legacy building for future generations.
With over four decades of combined experience in the
contemporary art world, each principal with their own successful galleries in New York and Los Angeles respectively, Connelly & Light offers a comprehensive first-hand understanding of the nature of a competitive international art market. Connelly & Light have been lauded for their innovations in the field and for their dedication to discovering and promoting new and exciting voices in contemporary art.
John Connelly spent his formative years at Andrea Rosen Gallery working closely with important contemporary artists like Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Wolfgang Tillmans and Andrea Zittel. His gallery John Connelly Presents began as a curatorial initiative in 2001, with group exhibitions that included then emerging artists such as Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Wade Guyton, Ryan McGinley, and Kelley Walker. Connelly is a co-founder of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) and served as the Director of the Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation from 2010 - 2014. After relocating from New York to California, Connelly formed Connelly & Light, a full service art advisory firm, with Kimberly Light. The firm has offices in New York and Santa Barbara.
“It is an important next step for me to be able to share my curatorial curiosity for new discoveries and a dedication to art historical context with our clients. I am excited about the opportunity to show them how building a collection, learning about art and supporting artists is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have."
With over 20 years of experience working in the art world, Kimberly Light has run two successful galleries in Los Angeles and worked with and supported a variety of prestigious international artists and their projects. She has served as a committee member, chair or trustee of art institutions including Sculpture Center, Dia Center for Arts, San Francisco MoMA, Capp Street Project and Artadia. In addition to her work in commercial galleries Ms. Light began advising in Los Angeles in 2002. She moved to New York City in 2009 to earn a masters in contemporary art history and theory from the Sotheby’s Institute where she has continued to expand her art advising business.
"I strongly believe that art collecting is an art in itself, reflecting the importance of historical perspective and the aesthetic decisions of the owner. At Connelly & Light, whether the collection is private or public, we place great importance on this context and seek to create a legacy that celebrates artistic rigor as well as the core values and passions of the collector. One of my favorite quotes by Agnes Martin so eloquently states, “Artwork is a representation of our devotion to life," I couldn't agree more."
Andrew Lockhart
FOUNDER OF PRŌ JEKT': NYC (CREATIVE SHOP) AND BLACK SWAN PROJEKT (FINE ARTS CONSULTANCY), AND FORMER PARTNER/DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS AT ANONYMOUS GALLERY IN NEW YORK, NY & MEXICO CITY
Andrew Lockhart is the Founder of prō jekt′ : nyc and rogue + renegade, a creative shop and fine arts consultancy, respectively. Through prō jekt′ : nyc, Mr. Lockhart has maintained personal relationships with global opinion leaders and trend creators from every industry, while fostering business relationships with brands and agencies. His uncanny ability to translate messages from brands and agencies (and then on to consumers) has earned him the respect and gravitas of
his peers, while allowing him to maintain his own personal brand of authenticity.
Mr. Lockhart began his New York career working for Visionaire Publishing, where he worked for both Visionaire and V. He then became Events Manager at lifestyle firm KBA Marketing, where he consulted for brands like RJ Reynolds and Coca-Cola, curating/producing large scale events (The Bartenders Ball, The Seven Deadly Sins, etc). From there as partner and Director of Business Development for Prophecy Magazine, he was instrumental in making it one of the most forward thinking independent publications on newsstands.
Mr. Lockhart founded prō jekt′ : nyc in late 2005 after years of building global relationships across a number of industries. A New York based, non-traditional consultancy that links brands and agencies with
creatives from around the globe who exist and work in the near future of trends, prō jekt′ : nyc creates innovative and unique ways to create a dialogue with consumers. The shop also consults on various platforms, including public relations campaigns, sponsorship and event production.
Mr. Lockhart joined Anonymous Gallery (N.Y./D.F.) in October of 2008. As Special Projects Director, he focused on strategic partnerships and the gallery's public art program. In the summer of 2013, Mr. Lockhart started rogue + renegade, a fine art consulting firm from which he advises private clients, partners visual artists with corporations, works with art fairs, curates unique exhibitions and represents artists.