The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC), a nonprofit art space focused on craft, has named Zaynab Hilal as its 2024-2027 Curatorial Fellow.
Established in 2008, the curatorial fellowship program seeks to train and support the next generation of curators in the craft field. During the three-year term, the fellow works with HCCC’s curator Sarah Darro to develop, organize, and implement exhibitions. Additionally, they have the opportunity to work cross-departmentally to support educational programming and the organization’s residency initiatives.
Zaynab Hilal. Photo by Huma Shahzad.
Ms. Hilal is a first-generation Arab American writer, poet, and curator, who is from Houston. She holds an MA in Museum and Exhibition Studies from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a BS in Anthropology from the University of Houston. While in Chicago, Ms. Hilal served as the Scholarly Series Coordinator and the Catalog Publication Coordinator for Surviving the Long Wars, the second Veteran Art Triennial & Summit. In Houston, Ms. Hilal has held internships in curatorial research, communications, and art administration at Lawndale Art Center, DiverseWorks, and Asia Society Texas.
In a press release, Ms. Darro noted, “We are delighted to have Zaynab join our team at HCCC. She brings a strong interdisciplinary background and focus on material culture to the position, as well as an eagerness to learn more about all aspects of a nonprofit art center. We look forward to working with Zaynab to hone her talents as an emerging curator.”
Ms. Hilal remarked, “As the next curatorial fellow, I am excited to develop exhibitions celebrating the rich cultural narratives and innovative techniques in contemporary craft. I look forward to collaborating with the HCCC team, resident artists, and the community to create and curate meaningful experiences that resonate with diverse audiences.”
Ms. Hilal will begin her fellowship program on June 25, 2024, and will be with the organization until the summer of 2027.
