Kate Holohan has been appointed the inaugural curator of education and academic outreach for the Syracuse University Art Museum.
Holohan will be responsible for the development and implementation of learning and engagement opportunities to further integrate the museum into the academic mission of the University. She will also work closely with the museum’s existing team to create public programs for interaction with the collection and special collections. Holohan will also oversee outreach for regional groups, and youth and K-12 schools like the Photography and Literacy Project.
“This is a pivotal position for the museum that will help us fill our academic mission as part of Syracuse University. Kate’s track record at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center shows an impressive commitment to building relationships through campus and community outreach. I look forward to her leadership in growing our partnerships on campus and in the Central New York Community,” says Vanja Malloy, the museum’s director and chief curator.
Kate Holohan
Holohan’s most recent role at Stanford University was as interim director of academic and public programs, where she managed the museum’s academic programs. Holohan partnered with faculty for class visits and work with the collection, oversaw the student guides training program and managed several student-centered research and curatorial programs that reached over 1,000 students annually. Holohan also managed public programs such as curator and artist talks, symposia, hands-on art-making events and interdisciplinary conversations.
“With one of the largest collections among university-affiliated museums, the Syracuse University Art Museum offers deep and rich ways for faculty and students to collaborate both within and across disciplines. This position will be dedicated to forging those connections and we are thrilled to welcome Kate Holohan to Syracuse University,” says Gretchen Ritter, provost and chief academic officer.
Prior to her role at Stanford, Holohan was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in the department of the arts of Africa, Oceana and the Americas at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She holds a Ph.D. in art history from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.
“I look forward to drawing on Syracuse’s significant collection of works on paper, ceramics, and textiles to further develop my interdisciplinary teaching, research, and curatorial practice. One of the true joys of a diverse collection like Syracuse’s is discovering objects that can spark exciting conversations in the classroom, in the galleries, and through public programming,” says Holohan.
