By Emily Williams
On Nov. 1, a new face will grace the Birmingham Museum of Art when Hallie Ringle takes on her new position as Hugh Kaul Curator for Contemporary Art.
According to a news release from the museum, Ringle joins the BMA team from the Studio Museum in Harlem, where she has been assistant curator. Current shows that showcase her curatorial work include “Firelei Báez: Joy Out of Fire,” on display at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and ”Maren Hassinger: Monuments,” an exhibition of eight site-specific sculptures installed at Marcus Garvey Park.
“I am delighted to join the BMA at an exciting time in a dynamic city when the museum is increasingly using contemporary art to help shape critical conversations happening locally and nationally,” said Ringle. “I am inspired by the BMA’s permanent collection and thought-provoking exhibitions and projects. I am eager to work alongside their fantastic team to think strategically about ways we can further community dialogue, enhance the collection with important works by emerging and established artists, and tell even more stories through contemporary art.”
Ringle, hired after an extensive national search, will oversee the museum’s permanent collection of more than 3,000 American and European works of art and will lead the BMA’s Collectors’ Circle for Contemporary Art. In addition, she will develop exhibitions, publications and lectures on the topic of contemporary art – as well as playing a key role in establishing the program’s future through acquisitions, loans, traveling exhibitions and community partnerships.
“We are thrilled to welcome (Ringle) to the Birmingham Museum of Art,” said R. Hugh Daniel Director Graham Boettcher. “As a highly regarded curator of contemporary art, (Ringle) brings with her an impressive record of groundbreaking exhibitions – working with both emerging and established artists – and a deep commitment to community engagement. With (Ringle’s) expertise and vision, I am confident that the BMA’s contemporary art program will continue to flourish, and I look forward to watching her make her mark on our institution and its collection as she creates innovative and meaningful art experiences for our community.”
Building Her Career
Ringle began her career as a senior curatorial assistant with the Studio Museum in Harlem in 2013 after receiving her bachelor’s in art history and history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s in art history with a concentration in contemporary African art at the University of Texas at Austin.
She was promoted to assistant curator in 2016 and, as such, produced exhibitions of modern and contemporary artists, managed the museum’s artist-in-residence program and cultivated partnerships.
During her tenure at the Studio Museum, she organized and co-organized a variety of exhibitions and was reviewed by The New York Times, The New Yorker, ARTnews and Artforum.
In addition, Ringle has participated in panels and lectures both nationally and internationally and has been published in numerous publications. She has written about a variety of topics, including many artists of African descent.
“Hallie has been an integral member of the Studio Museum’s curatorial team for the past five years. She has demonstrated a thoughtful and engaging curatorial vision at a dynamic time in the museum’s history,” said Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem. “She will be truly missed, but I am incredibly excited for her and the BMA in this fantastic new chapter of her career.”
