Rachel Mohl Appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator of Public Art for the University of Houston Systems

The University of Houston has appointed Rachel Mohl as the new Executive Director and Chief Curator of Public Art for the University of Houston Systems (Public Art UHS). Ms. Mohl takes on the role following the departure of María C. Gaztambide, left to become the Executive Director of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.

Rachel Mohl

In a press release, Emily Messa, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor/Associate Vice President for Administration for UHS and UHS-wide Public Art Committee Chair, stated, “We are thrilled to have Rachel Mohl join the University of Houston System as Executive Director and Chief Curator of Public Art UHS. Her extensive experience, exceptional curatorial insights and academic dedication will undoubtedly elevate our public art initiatives and contribute significantly to the UH System campus enrichment and to our community’s cultural landscape.”

Ms. Mohl joins UHS from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), where she served as the Assistant Curator of Latin American and Latino Art. In that role, she curated exhibitions and site-specific installations, including Contested Landscapes, Leandro Erlich: Seeing is Not Believing, Carmen Herrera: Structuring Surfaces, and Contingent Beauty: Contemporary Art from Latin America. Ms. Mohl was also a significant contributor to the planning, implementation, and programming of the museum’s Latin American collection for the opening of the Kinder Building in 2020. Coincidentally, Ms. Gaztambide also worked at the MFAH prior to becoming the inaugural director of Public Art UHS in 2018.

Ms. Mohl is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Art History on the Museum Professionals track at Rice University. Her dissertation research investigates the influence of Jewish immigration on the 1940s and 1950s avant-garde in Latin America. Ms. Mohl holds an MA in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Art History and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis. 

In her role at Public Art UHS, Ms. Mohl will work to strengthen the Temporary Public Art program, lead efforts to commission signature site-specific pieces, and re-site existing works to align with the university’s centennial master plan. She will also be tasked with expanding educational and outreach programs to promote art appreciation and cultural enrichment across the UHS campuses.

Ms. Mohl remarked, “I am delighted to join Public Art UHS as the incoming Executive Director and Chief Curator. I am deeply impressed with the institution’s growth and development and share its commitment to engaging diverse audiences throughout the campuses and surrounding communities. I look forward to working with the amazing team and leading Public Art UHS into its next chapter.”