The Farnsworth Art Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Jaime DeSimone to serve as the museum’s Chief Curator beginning in July. DeSimone will lead the museum's exhibition and collection programs. With close to twenty years of curatorial experience, DeSimone comes to the Farnsworth from the Portland museum of Art, where she served as the Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic Curator of Contemporary Art.

“Jaime has an impressive understanding of the Farnsworth’s historical collections, as well as our important relationships with the artists currently contributing to the ongoing narrative in American art, and its important connections to Maine,” said Farnsworth Director Christopher Brownawell. “The museum’s Board of Trustees and I have full confidence in Jaime's ability to propel the Farnsworth’s curatorial program to a new level of success.”

In addition to her position at the Portland Museum of Art, DeSimone has served as Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, as Exhibitions Project Coordinator at the Peabody Essex Museum, and in the curatorial department of the Addison Gallery of American Art. As a curator and leader in museums, DeSimone has championed an artist-centric approach—ensuring artists are the heartbeat of any institution. Among the over forty exhibitions she has curated, her projects have garnered support from many leading organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Program.

“I am honored to be joining the Farnsworth at this exciting time in the institution's history,” commented DeSimone. “I look forward to building upon its successes to elevate Maine's role in American Art, especially on the eve of the museum's 75th anniversary in 2023, and to guiding the museum’s artistic vision into the future. We will continue the museum’s ongoing efforts to diversify the collection, not only in media but to ensure representation that is reflective of all artists, both past and present, who contribute to Maine’s role in American art."

Named by the Boston Globe as one of the finest small museums in the country, the Farnsworth Art Museum offers a nationally recognized collection of works from many of America’s greatest artists. It is open year-round as the only museum dedicated solely to American and Maine-inspired art. Through its remarkable collection of more than 15,000 works, inventive exhibitions, wide-ranging intellectual resources, and energetic educational programming, visitors from around the world gain a deep appreciation of the ongoing story of Maine’s role in American art. More information about the museum may be found at www.farnsworthmuseum.org.