{{short description|American curator (born 1980)}} '''Jamillah James''' (born 1980) is an American curator. She is the Manilow Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
== Early life and education == James grew up in New Jersey.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Mast '00 |first=Audrey Michelle |title=Jamillah James '05 |url=https://www.colum.edu/academics/alumni/jamillah-james |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=www.colum.edu |language=en-US}}</ref> Her mother was a musician.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Zappas |first=Lindsay Preston |date=February 2020 |title=Interview with Jamillah James |url=https://contemporaryartreview.la/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Interview-with-Jamillah-James.pdf |access-date=24 June 2022 |website=Contemporary Art Review LA}}</ref> Her early interest in music and film provided one way into the world of visual art.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Stromberg |first=Matt |date=2017-02-24 |title=The Curator of LA's New ICA on Opening Up the Insular Art World |url=http://hyperallergic.com/359924/the-curator-of-las-new-ica-on-opening-up-the-insular-art-world/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Hyperallergic |language=en-US}}</ref> James attended Columbia College Chicago, where she was in the first class to study art history.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Warnecke |first=Lauren |date=18 November 2021 |title=MCA announces new top curators |pages=8 |work=Chicago Tribune; Chicago, Ill. <!-- |via=ProQuest -->}}</ref> She graduated in 2005.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jamillah James Named Senior Curator at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago |url=https://contemporaryand.com/magazines/jamillah-james-named-senior-curator-at-museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Contemporary And |language=de}}</ref> While in Chicago for college, James founded a DIY, live/work experimental music venue called Pink Section and later lived at the exhibition space Archer Ballroom, where she organized live music performances.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Announces Appointment of New Curatorial Leadership |url=https://mcachicago.org/publications/blog/2021/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-announces-appointment-of-new-curatorial-leadership |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=mcachicago.org}}</ref>
== Career == James was an independent curator and held curatorial fellowships at the Studio Museum in Harlem (2012-2014) and the Queens Museum (2010).<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Victoria L. |date=2021-11-18 |title=Jamillah James Appointed Senior Curator at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: As a Student 'Visiting the MCA Helped Me Realize the Possibilities of Curating and of Museums' |url=https://www.culturetype.com/2021/11/17/jamillah-james-appointed-senior-curator-at-museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-as-a-student-visiting-the-mca-helped-me-realize-the-possibilities-of-curating-and-of-museums/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Culture Type |language=en-US}}</ref>
James was Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum.<ref name=":2" /> At the Hammer Museum she organized shows by Alex Da Corte, Simone Leigh,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ica La Appoints Jamillah James As Curator |url=https://www.theicala.org/en/press-releases/5-ica-la-appoints-jamillah-james-as-curator |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles |language=en}}</ref> and Charles Gaines.<ref name=":8" /> She also curated Njideka Akunyili Crosby's first solo museum exhibition,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 2018 |title=Njideka Akunyili: Making An Art Statement |work=The Guardian; Lagos <!-- |via=ProQuest -->}}</ref> and would later present Crosby at Art + Practice, a space founded by artist Mark Bradford.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vankin |first=Deborah |date=5 November 2017 |title=Forever painting outside the lines; MacArthur Fellow Njideka Akunyili Crosby pours her Nigerian-American world into her mixed-media art. |pages=F1 |work=Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif. <!-- |via=ProQuest -->}}</ref>
In 2016, James was named curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Miranda |first=Carolina A. |date=2016-08-02 |title=Hammer Museum's Jamillah James named curator of the new ICA LA |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-jamillah-james-ica-la-20160729-snap-story.html |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Upon her arrival she noted her plans to present a mixture of Los Angeles artists and international artists,<ref name=":8" /> and later described her goal of harnessing creative energy as a path to address a "turbulent political climate".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vankin |first=Deborah |date=September 1, 2017 |title=ICA LA: A sneak peek inside downtown's new art museum |work=Los Angeles Times <!-- |via=ProQuest -->}}</ref> For ICA LA James curated exhibitions featuring Sarah Cain,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Griffin |first=Jonathan |date=2021-09-30 |title=With Big, Bold Art, Sarah Cain Redefines Seriousness in Painting |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/arts/sarah-cain-national-gallery-painter.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Harold Mendez, Nayland Blake,<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Andy |date=December 2019 |title=Andy Campbell on Nayland Blake |volume=58 |work=Artforum International; New York |issue=4}}</ref> B. Wurtz, Sara Cwynar, Lucas Blalock, and Rebecca Morris.<ref name=":3" /> She also presented traveling exhibitions of Ree Morton, Patty Chang, and Nina Chanel Abney.
In 2018, James and Margot Norton were announced as curators of the New Museum's 2021 Triennial.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=2018-07-09 |title=Bicoastal Pairing of Curators for Next New Museum Triennial |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/arts/design/new-museum-triennial-curators.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
In 2021, she was appointed the Manilow Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and began her role in early 2022.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Durón |first=Maximilíano |date=2021-11-17 |title=MCA Chicago Hires New Museum Triennial Curator Jamillah James |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mca-chicago-hires-jamillah-james-rene-morales-1234610525/ |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=ARTnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=MCA Chicago Taps René Morales and Jamillah James for Top Curatorial Roles |url=https://www.artforum.com/news/mca-chicago-taps-rene-morales-and-jamillah-james-for-top-curatorial-roles-87201 |access-date=2022-01-16 |website=www.artforum.com |date=18 November 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> During her tenure, she has organized the major group exhibition ''The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970-2020'', and presented exhibitions of Faith Ringgold, Rebecca Morris, and Yoko Ono.
== Other activities == In 2019, James served on the jury that chose Kandis Williams for the Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award.<ref>Alex Greenberger (15 July 2021), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/kandis-williams-mohn-award-hammer-museum-monica-majoli-mr-wash-1234598881/ Kandis Williams Wins Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award] ''ARTnews''.</ref>
== Awards and honors == In 2018, James received a fellowship from the VIA Art Foundation.<ref name=":6" /> In 2021, James was awarded the Ellsworth Kelly Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.;<ref name=":1" /> the Noah Davis Prize from the Underground Museum; and a curatorial fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=2021-09-30 |title=The Underground Museum in Los Angeles Has Awarded Three Curators $25,000 Each With Its Inaugural Noah Davis Prize |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/underground-museum-launches-noah-davis-prize-curators-2015177 |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Jamillah}} Category:Living people Category:American curators Category:American women curators Category:Columbia College Chicago alumni Category:1980 births