Residency: Robert Blackson, Curator & Director of Temple Contemporary, Tyler School of Art
Robert Blackson has been the Director of Temple Contemporary, Tyler School of Art since 2011. Previously serving as Curator of Public Programs at Nottingham Contemporary, one of the UK’s newest public contemporary art center, Blackson worked with numerous universities, artists, and writers to develop an eclectic and discursive program of lectures, screenings, performances, and live events. Prior to joining Nottingham Contemporary, Blackson was curator of BALTIC Center for Contemporary Art, Newcastle/Gateshead, UK. At the UK’s largest non-collecting contemporary art gallery, Blackson developed exhibitions with numerous international artists including Sarah Sze, Shahryar Nashat, and Matt Stokes.
Blackson has contributed to a variety of catalogues and publications, including Art Journal, Cabinet, and Labyrinth, and he has lectured internationally on issues related to contemporary art practice. He is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and in 2012 was named an Andy Warhol Curatorial Fellow. Blackson’s most recent projects include Symphony for a Broken Orchestra (2016/2017), reForm (2015/2016), and Funeral for a Home (2014).
Select projects:
Symphony for a Broken Orchestra – After learning that there were over 1,000 broken instruments in the Philadelphia school system, Robert Blackson decided to do something about it. Mr. Blackson collected scores of damaged flutes, trombones and other instruments for an exhibit. In October 2017, hundreds of children and volunteers will play these instruments in a Symphony for a Broken Orchestra, created by David Lang.
Read more about the Symphony for a Broken Orchestra in Hyperallergic.