Kevin Tervala Named Chief Curator at BMA

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has announced Kevin Tervala as the institution’s Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator, effective immediately. After occupying the position on an interim basis beginning this past February, he officially fills the post left vacant by Asma Naeem earlier this year, when sheascendedto the role of BMA director.

A native of Baltimore, Tervala since 2017 had served as department head for the Arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific Islands (AAAPI). His appointment concludes a nine-month search for an appropriate candidate. “Kevin has played an essential part in shaping the BMA’s curatorial direction over the past several years, bringing thoughtful perspective to the presentation of our AAAPI holdings as well as to our ongoing and evolving work to diversify the museum’s broader collection and presentations. As the interim chief curator, he has brought new and exciting vision and been an active supporter to our museum team, creating pathways for colleagues to share their distinct knowledge and be recognized for their important work,” said Naeem in a statement.

“Following a long, robust search, we could think of no better person to help lead us into the BMA’s future. His knowledge and experience, especially within non-Western art and culture, as well as his commitment to partnership are critical to our success.”RelatedLOUVRE RAISES TICKET PRICES BY NEARLY 30 PERCENTAMY HAU TO LEAD NOGUCHI MUSEUM Tervala arrived to the BMA in 2015 as AAAPI’s curatorial fellow before rising to become department head in 2017. In that role, he reconceptualized the installation of the BMA’s African art collection, emphasizing historical and sociopolitical narratives and a broad range of artistic expression; as well, he created the museum’s first collection gallery dedicated to Oceanic art. Among the exhibitions Tervala curated for the institution are “The Matter of Bark Cloth” (2023); “A Perfect Power: Motherhood and African Art” (2020); and “Kuba: Fabric of an Empire”(2019). Before joining the BMA, he worked as a researcher, exploring the relationship between climate change, colonialism, and artmaking in Kenya. He holds a Ph.D. in African Studies from Harvard University and a BA in art history from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Concurrent with Tervala’s appointment, the BMA announced the hiring of Antoinette Roberts as assistant curator of contemporary art, beginning in February 2024. Roberts holds a master’s of philosophy in the history of art from the University of Cambridge, where she wrote her thesis on Carrie Mae Weems. She is currently a curatorial assistant in the department of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where she is working on an upcoming exhibition on the work of LaToya Ruby Frazier. “Annie brings to our team an acumen for historical thinking shaped by the contemporary moment,” said BMA curator Jessica Bell Brown, who heads the institution’s contemporary art department, in a statement.

“She is an emerging curatorial mind that will bring a fresh perspective to our collection.”.