Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, has announced the appointment of Amber Esseiva as Curator-at-Large, a newly created position. Esseiva currently serves as Curator for the Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University and has extensive curatorial, programming, and strategic planning experience. In this new role, she will work closely with the Museum’s curatorial team to advise on exhibitions and acquisitions, manage artist relationships, and participate in the Museum’s mission-related artist advocacy work, all while fortifying her ongoing research.

Thelma Golden said, “It is a sincere pleasure to welcome Amber Esseiva to The Studio Museum in Harlem. Over her notable career, Amber has worked closely with artists across all disciplines, demonstrated a commitment to cross-departmental collaboration, developed large-scale commissions, and led efforts in advancing and applying ethical institutional practices. We are delighted to have her as a partner in this exciting and transformative moment of growth.”

Amber Esseiva said, “I am so thrilled to join the Studio Museum as Curator-at-Large. The Studio Museum’s legacy is one that I have always carried with me in my mind and heart and so to have the opportunity to apply my admiration toward the planning of the Museum’s new building is tremendous. I am honored to have a seat at the table among so many people I admire."

As Curator for the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Esseiva organized numerous exhibitions, including Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste: Set It Off (October 2021–June 2022), Dineo Seshee Bopape: Ile aye, moya, là, ndokh...harmonic conversions (September 2021–January 2022), and Kandis Williams: A Field (November 2020–September 2021). In addition to her work at the Institute for Contemporary Art, Esseiva has served as a visiting lecturer for the University of California Los Angeles, Maryland Institute College of Art, American University, and Columbia University. Esseiva graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and earned her master’s degree at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.