Get to know our new Ellen Matilda Poss Director!
Nora Burnett Abrams comes to the ICA from the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, where she deepened the museum’s role as a catalyst for creative energy, community engagement, and artistic experimentation. She was behind some of the museum’s most successful exhibitions, including Basquiat Before Basquiat (2017) and Tara Donovan: Fieldwork (2018).
Birthplace:
New York City
Most powerful early memory of an experience at a museum:
In high school, I took an art history class on a lark — my sister was majoring in this field, so I wanted to gauge if it held the same interest for me. Within five minutes, I was hooked. A few months later, our class visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I knew during that visit that working with these complicated and richly layered objects, sharing their stories, and inviting others to engage with them, was my future path.
Artist or work of art that especially speaks to you:
I always respond to objects that are really textured and are full of varied surfaces. We included Mel Chin’s Rough Rider (2002) in our recent exhibition Cowboy at MCA Denver, and it was one of the most powerful objects to encounter in the installation: a riding saddle made from barbed wire. It touched on the role of barbed wire in the explosive growth of the cattle industry in the late 19th century, which also contributed to the decline of the cowboy’s role as a caretaker of these animals.
Proudest accomplishment:
Our two sons! (And also, finishing my Ph.D. dissertation.)
Little-known skill/passion:
Word games and puzzles
On your to-do list for living in Boston:
Going to a Red Sox game, taking our kids on the Freedom Trail, meeting and connecting with the extensive arts community, and lots of walks around the many historic neighborhoods!
Books on your nightstand right now:
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
If I weren’t a museum director I’d be:
A floral designer