Philadelphia, July 6, 2022—The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is excited to announce the appointment of DJ Hellerman as its new Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Hellerman’s appointment builds on the Museum’s initiative to facilitate a collaborative space for artists. “DJ brings with him a sensitivity to the needs of artists, audiences, and institutions; a track record of organizing meaningful and thought-provoking exhibitions; and a skillful ability to think poetically and strategically. His appointment will help FWM usher in a new phase of experimentation and community engagement,” says Executive Director Christina Vassallo. “We’re thrilled to bring his distinct vision to the FWM team, its artists-in-residence, and to Philadelphia.” He joins the museum as the most recent Curator at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, and the former Curator of Arts and Programs at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, New York.
Throughout his time at the Everson, Hellerman oversaw the implementation of artist-led projects, exhibitions, and programming, while working with its historic video art collection. His interests center around early video; the relationship between art, technology, and spirituality; place-based art making; and the development of cultural institutions in post-war American cities.
“I am thrilled to be joining The Fabric Workshop and Museum, an institution with a radical commitment to artist-centric experimentation, imagination, and collaboration—values vital to our lives,” says Hellerman. “As FWM enters its next phase of growth and reconsiders the ways it serves its publics and delivers on its mission, I am excited to contribute to a dedicated team hard at work creating dynamic situations that allow for unknown possibilities.”
Hellerman holds an M.A in Art History from Case Western Reserve University and is a PhD candidate at Karl-Franzens-Universität in Graz, Austria. Prior to his work at the Everson, he held the position of Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Burlington City Arts in Burlington, Vermont. Recent highlights include Yoko Ono: Remembering the Future, a retrospective in collaboration with Jon Hendricks which garnered critical attention from Hyperallergic; and Strata: Frank Gillette and Suzanne Anker, co-curated with David Ross and praised as “pivotal” in The Brooklyn Rail. Most recently, Mr. Hellerman curated Pale In Comparison, a Dorreen Lynette Garner exhibition featuring new work on view until July 21 at the SCAD Museum of Art.
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