David Breslin

David Breslin is the DeMartini Family Curator and Director of the Collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Prior to joining the Whitney, Breslin was the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Chief Curator at the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, Texas. Previously, he was associate director, Research and Academic Program, and associate curator of contemporary projects at the Clark Art Institute.

At the Whitney, Breslin has curated or co- curated Where We Are: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1900-1960; An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1940-2017; and David Wojnarowicz: History Keeps Me Awake at Night. He also has organized exhibitions including El Anatsui and Raw Color: The Circles of David Smith at the Clark and The Precarious and The Condition of Being Here: The Drawings of Jasper Johns at the Menil Collection. He has written essays on the work of, among others, Felix Gonzalez- Torres, Valentin Carron, Jenny Holzer, Cady Noland, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Thek.

Breslin earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Amherst College, a master’s in art history from Williams College, and a Ph.D. in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University.

Articles Related to David Breslin

2018-11-01

Center for Curatorial Leadership Announces 2019 Fellows

The Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL) has selected twelve curators for participation in the 2019 class of its annual Fellowship. Following the organization’s most competitive review process to date, the cohort chosen for the program will convene from January through May 2019. The program includes three weeks of in-session instruction, ... Read More >

2019-07-31

The Whitney Appoints David Breslin (CCL 2019) Director of Curatorial Initiatives

Congratulations to David Breslin (CCL 2019) on his appointment to Director of Curatorial Initiatives at the Whitney! Previously, Breslin served as the DeMartini Family Curator and Director of the Collection at the Whitney. He has curated or co-curated Where We Are: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1900-1960; An Incomplete History of Protest: Selections from ... Read More >

2019-01-21

Program Highlights | 2019 Fellows Complete January Session of the CCL Fellowship

This January, the Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL) welcomed its twelfth class of Fellows to New York City for the beginning of their five-month Fellowship. Over the two-week intensive, they received instruction from Columbia Business School professors and met with leaders in the field, delving into different approaches to leadership ... Read More >

2019-10-23

Dennis Carr (CCL 2019) appointed Chief Curator of American Art at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Dennis Carr (CCL 2019) has been named Chief Curator of American Art at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens!  Carr will join The Huntington from the MFA Boston, where he has served as the Carolyn and Peter Lynch Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture since 2007. While at the ... Read More >

2020-01-27

René Morales (CCL 2019) Named Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator of The Pérez Art Museum Miami

René Morales (CCL 2019) has been named Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), where he has been a member of the curatorial staff since 2005.  During his tenure at PAMM, Morales has curated over 50 exhibitions. Recent curatorial projects include Christo and Jeanne-Claude: ... Read More >

2020-03-16

Ryan N. Dennis (CCL 2019) named Chief Curator and Artistic Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art's Center for Art and Public Exchange

Ryan N. Dennis (CCL 2019) has been named named Chief Curator and Artistic Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art's Center for Art and Public Exchange (CAPE).  Since 2017, Ryan has served as the Curator and Programs Director of Project Row Houses (PRH) in Houston, Texas. She joined Project Row Houses in ... Read More >

2021-09-03

Johanna Burton (CCL 2019) Named Executive Director of LA MOCA

Johanna Burton (CCL 2019) has been named Executive Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles!  Since 2019, Burton has been the executive director of the Wexner Center for the Arts. Previously, she served as the Keith Haring Director and Curator of Education and Public Engagement at the New ... Read More >

2021-11-23

René Morales (CCL 2019) named Chief Curator of Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

René Morales (CCL 2019) has been named Chief Curator of the MCA Chicago!  René is currently the director of curatorial affairs and chief curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). During his tenure at PAMM, Morales has curated over 50 exhibitions. Curatorial projects include Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Surrounded Islands, 1980–83 (2018), Dara Friedman: Perfect ... Read More >