Madison Square Park Conservancy has announced the appointment of Denise Markonish as its next Martin Friedman Chief Curator.
Markonish comes to this role following eighteen years at MASS MoCA, in North Adams, MA, where she most recently served as the first chief curator in the institution’s history. With over two decades of experience staging large-scale commissions and complex exhibitions, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the Conservancy’s 20-year legacy of groundbreaking public art programming.
Markonish succeeds Brooke Kamin Rapaport, who concluded an eleven-year tenure with the
Conservancy at the end of 2024. Markonish will join the Conservancy on June 23rd, 2025.
“As the park’s public art program enters its third decade, we are thrilled to welcome Denise to our team, as someone known for her creativity, collaborative spirit, and commitment to community engagement, As a seasoned curator, she understands artists’ needs and how to integrate their visions into our park and neighborhood. We believe she is the perfect choice for this next chapter in the program’s history.”
Executive Director Holly Leicht.
“I am honored to continue Madison Square Park Conservancy’s mission of bringing exciting and
meaningful public art to all New Yorkers and visitors to the city,”
said Markonish.
“The park itself is its own unique neighborhood, and a beloved haven for so many. As a curator, I firmly believe in the vision of artists and the democracy of art, and look forward to working with the team at Madison Square Park Conservancy to bring this to life through new commissions that will forge
unexpected connections and dialogues between artists and the site’s dynamic community.”
Markonish first partnered with Madison Square Park Conservancy to bring Martin Puryear’s commission Big Bling to downtown North Adams following its original installation in the park in 2016–2017. Prior to joining MASS MoCA in 2007, Markonish served as curator at Artspace, New Haven, CT, and the Fuller Museum of Art (now the Fuller Craft Museum), Brockton, MA.
She has organized numerous exhibitions with leading artists, including Nick Cave, Lily Cox-Richard, Teresita Fernández, Jeffrey Gibson, Joseph Grigely, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Amy Hauft, Glenn Kaino, Marc Swanson, Nari Ward, and Amy Yoes. Her exhibition Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream…, a 25-year survey co-organized with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, will open at MASS MoCA on May 24, 2025.
Markonish has also worked on long-term projects with Laurie Anderson and has commissioned works by Mark Dion, Sarah Oppenheimer, Julianne Swartz, Stephen Vitiello, and many others. In addition to producing numerous exhibition catalogues, Markonish guest-edited the books Teresita Fernández: Wayfinding (DelMonico) and Wonder: 50 Years of RISD Glass (Rhode Island School of Design) and co-edited Sol LeWitt: 100 Views (Yale University Press). She has taught at Williams College, Williamstown, MA, and the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, and was a visiting curator at Artpace, San Antonio, TX, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME.
About
Madison Square Park Conservancy is the nonprofit entrusted by the City of New York to operate Madison Square Park, a 6.2-acre public space in the heart of Manhattan. Its mission is to conserve, maintain, and program this ever-evolving, historic green space, including raising 100% of the park’s operating budget. Its dedicated team takes great pride in caring for and shaping an urban oasis for all to enjoy. Anchoring a diverse and vibrant live-work community, Madison Square Park is both an intimate neighborhood park and an international destination for 60,000 daily visitors. Since 2004, Madison Square Park Conservancy has commissioned and presented projects by visionary artists ranging in practice and media through its public art program.
To learn more, visit Madison Square Park Conservancy’s website: madisonsquarepark.org
