Ballroom Marfa, a non-collecting contemporary art museum in West Texas, has announced the appointment of Jaime Herrell as Associate Curator. Ms. Herrell joins the organization following the departure of Daisy Nam.
Jaime Herrell
Jaime Herrell is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation with European heritage and holds a BFA in Museum Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She has held various positions at institutions across the U.S., including Curatorial Assistant/Exhibition Development for the New Mexico History Museum, Curatorial Assistant at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Gallery Program Coordinator at the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, IAIA Curatorial Intern at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and National Endowment for the Arts Programs Assistant at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
The organization’s appointment of Ms. Herrell as Associate Curator marks an organizational shift away from the dual role of Executive Director and Curator. Ms. Nam stepped down from her role as Executive Director/Curator in February of this year. In 2020, Ballroom Marfa hired Ms. Nam as curator and in 2022, following the departure of Executive Director Laura Copelin, Ms. Nam was promoted to serve in the capacity of Executive Director and Curator.
Holly Harrison
Holly Harrison stepped down from her position as Director of the Thoma Foundation and began serving as Interim Director at Ballroom Marfa in March. Recently she was appointed Executive Director. She told Glasstire, “As Ballroom charts its next 20 years, Virginia Lebermann (Co-Founder and President of the Board) and Fairfax Dorn (Co-Founder and Artistic Director) charged me with shepherding the evolution of Ballroom’s mission and program.”
In a press release, Ms. Harrison spoke of the appointment of Ms. Herrell, stating, “Jaime is an advocate for inclusive curatorial practices, and the specific individualities of each artist and their practice. She truly cares about how institutions can engage with a broad audience and her love of artists and the work that they do make her a uniquely perfect fit for Ballroom Marfa.”
Ms. Harrison told Glasstire that part of the organizational change has been to bring Vance Knowles, Ballroom’s founding music director, back as Creative Director. In this role, Mr. Knowles will revive music programming, looking back to the formerly annual music festival Marfa Myths for inspiration.
Additionally, Felix Benton has recently been hired as a Curatorial Assistant; he will be coordinating exhibitions and public programs. Ms. Harrison shared that she will be leading the Curatorial Program and along with these new hires is considering developing a guest curator program. Ms. Harrison explained, “In a region where we are so isolated, I think it’s important to bring other voices and viewpoints to Marfa.”
Ms. Harrison also shared that among many soon-to-be-announced programming endeavors, she is shepherding the Ballroom Marfa Supper Club, which she described as a chef-in-residence program. She noted that the organization is hosting its gala in New York City for the first time since 2018 and its new publication Ballroom Marfa: The First Twenty Years is currently available for pre-order. The book, which will go on sale on October 22, 2024, features interviews, photos, and reflections from alumni, staff, and creatives. Learn more about the organization and its upcoming programs via the Ballroom Marfa website.
