Before joining MOCA Tucson as Executive Director in October 2020, Kate Green, Ph.D., served as Senior Curator at the El Paso Museum of Art since 2018. At EPMA Green oversaw the renovation of the museum’s galleries and reinstallation of the permanent collection, and developed the museum’s Border Initiative, stewarding gifts and acquisitions of works by Beatriz Cortez, Virginia Jaramillo, Teresa Margolles, and Leo Villareal, the Border Biennial and exhibitions involving new commissions by Andrea Bowers, Cruz Ortiz, Animales de Poder, and programs featuring artists Celia Álvarez-Muñoz, Guillermo Gomez-Peña, Las Imaginistas, and Postcommodity. Previously, Green directed Marfa Contemporary, where she commissioned an exhibition project with William Cordova, including a book published by Dancing Foxes Press, and a performance project with Autumn Knight. From 2004 to 2007 Green led curatorial and education departments at Artpace San Antonio, and from 2001 to 2003 worked in curatorial at MoMA PS1 and as an educator at Dia Art Foundation. Green’s writing about art appears in catalogs and also many publications, including Artforum and Frieze. Green has taught art history at several institutions (Trinity University, University of Texas at Austin), was a fellow in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s Core Program, and holds an M.A. from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and a Ph.D. in Modern and Contemporary Art History from the University of Texas at Austin.

What do you do at MOCA?

I work with MOCA’s Trustees and incredible staff in growing our resources and impact. We advance our connections to living artists with vibrant and relevant exhibitions and programs that reflect our moment, and that excite and engage visitors. As we reconsider the role of the museum in the city, its border context, and beyond, we are asking urgent questions about the responsibilities of cultural institutions and allowing these to inform our ideas of growth and expanded impact, for those near and far.

Why work at MOCA?

MOCA has a rich history with artists and local communities, and with its iconic building has long played an important role in the cultural landscape. It is exciting to shape MOCA’s next era, especially within the context of Tucson’s energetic creative and social justice communities. What should and could MOCA look like and be in 10 years? That is a question I am excited to consider every day.

What do you do when you’re not at MOCA?

I cook, I bake, I read, I yoga, I see art. And I am often outside! You will find me swimming laps, on the tennis court, hiking new trails, biking around town, camping under the stars, walking with my sweet chocolate lab, adventuring in the borderlands, exploring Tucson and Arizona.

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What do you do when you’re not at MOCA?
I enjoy getting lost in the mountains for days, drinking good beer, and eating good food.

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What do you do at MOCA?
I am in charge of the planning and execution of all of our exhibitions. Working with an amazing team of staff, local contractors, curators, artists, galleries, and other organizations we mount 3-4 exhibitions a year. There’s never a dull moment.

Why work at MOCA?
It’s my chosen family. The team I work with is truly incredible. We all wear many hats and we wear them well. To me, MOCA reflects Tucson’s vibrant, diverse communities. Inclusive, engaging, supportive, compassionate, edgy, a little weird, and a ton of fun. I’m all about it.

What do you do when you’re not at MOCA?
When I’m not working with artists at MOCA, I’m collaborating with artists in the Tucson community. I’m a member of SUBSPACE art collective, Monsoon art collective, and I run WYLKA Art House with my partner. I’m super involved with the Tucson arts communities, as a contributor and supporter. It’s a sickness really, a beautiful sickness.

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