On Dec. 15, the Philadelphia Museum of Art announced that Carlos Basualdo was appointed as the Marion Boulton “Kippy” Stroud Deputy Director and Chief Curator, and Jessica Todd Smith was appointed the Director of Curatorial Initiatives and the Susan Gray Detweiler Curator of American Art.  

Both were promoted from within the organization. Since 2016, Smith has worked as the Susan Gray Detweiler Curator of American Art. Basualdo was previously the Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Senior Curator of Contemporary art, a role he’s held since 2005. His promotion makes him the museum’s first Chief Curator. 

Basualdo’s role of Chief Curator was created with an endowment from the Kippy Stroud Foundation, in the memory of Stroud. Stroud was the founder of the Fabric Workshop and Museum, as well as a Philadelphia Museum of Art trustee, who passed away in 2015. 

“The Philadelphia Museum of Art is at a critical moment as it considers the growth of its collections and its future programs. Carlos Basualdo has a significant global profile and will deepen our international partnerships with artists, museums, and collectors,”  said Sasha Suda, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  

As Chief Curator he will lead the museum’s publishing program as well as the library, archives, and curatorial teams. 

During his tenure, Basualdo has helped the museum obtain important acquisitions, such as the Keith L. and Katherine Sach Collection, five sculptures by Cy Twombly, and works from the collection of Peter and Mari Shaw. 

He is responsible for curating many major exhibits over the years. This includes Bruce Nauman: Topological Gardens at the 2009 Venice Biennale, which won a Golden Lion for Best National Participation; Barbara Chase Riboud: The Malcolm X Series, in 2014 and Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror in 2021-22. This last exhibit was co-curated with Scott Roothkopg and co-organized with the Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Before coming to Philadelphia, Basualdo worked as a curator in Italy, Germany, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and Britain. He was also an Adjunct Professor at IUAV Università degli studi in Venice, Italy, and was a Fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership in New York. He is originally from Argentina, where he spent his formative years. 

“It is a great joy and a true honor for me to have an opportunity to serve the Philadelphia Museum of Art as Marion Boulton ’Kippy’ Stroud Deputy Director and Chief Curator. I am thrilled at the prospect of working closely with Sasha Suda, and with Jessica Smith, in my new capacity,” Basualdo said. 

“Like many in the city and beyond, I admired Kippy Stroud for everything she did for the arts, as a true advocate for the local audience, for diversity, and for artists across generations and disciplines. I am both proud and thankful for having been asked to carry that legacy forward,” he added. 

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smith curates exhibits around American paintings and sculptures from 1900-1960. 

Suda said of Smith, “Jessica Todd Smith is a proven curatorial leader whose thoughtful perspective coupled with her deep interest in audience engagement will lead a new approach to curatorial practice at the PMA.”

Some of the exhibitions that she has curated are Elegy: Lament in the 20th Century, Horace Pippin: From War to Peace, and Painting Identity. 

Smith previously worked as the Chief Curator of American Art at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. 

She received an A.B. (Bachelor of Arts) in History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University, and earned her MA and PhD from Yale University. 

“I am impressed by Sasha’s energy and openness, her ideas about museums today, and her willingness to roll up her sleeves and get to work on creating a new future for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I look forward to working with her, with Carlos, and with all of my extraordinary curatorial colleagues as we think through evolving perspectives on the arts in general and on our programs in particular,” said Smith.