Hirshhorn Museum appoints chief curator from Montreal

Stephane Aquin has been named Chief Curator of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. (Photo: Éliane Excoffier)

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has appointed Stephane Aquin from the Montreal Museum of Fine Art as its new chief curator.

Museum director Melissa Chiu announced the appointment Tuesday. Aquin is the second major hire for Chiu, who became director in September. She previously hired Gianni Jetzer as Curator-at-Large.

Aquin will lead a staff of six curators responsible for planning the exhibitions at the Smithsonian museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Aquin succeeds Kerry Brougher, who  served as the museum’s interim director before leaving in May to become director of the new Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles.

Aquin organized more than 40 exhibitions by artists from Canada and around the world since joining the Montreal museum in 1998. He added more than 1,000 works to the museum’s collection, including pieces by David Altmejd, Eduardo Basualdo, Mark Lewis, Pipilotti Rist and Kiki Smith. He also led the museum’s effort to develop its sculpture garden.

“Stephane has the vision and experience to lead the Hirshhorn’s curatorial department at a time when we are expanding our profile nationally and internationally,” Chiu said in a statement. “He has worked closely with a diverse roster of artists and conceived and executed important monographic and thematic exhibitions. And he has been instrumental in building a significant contemporary collection.”

Aquin will join the Hirshhorn staff early next year.