Tamir Williams Appointed Curatorial Fellow for African American Photography at Smithsonian American Art Museum

©Americanart

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has welcomed Tamir Williams as a curatorial fellow for African American photography, marking a significant step in the museum's commitment to diversifying its collections. Williams brings a wealth of expertise and experience to their new role, which began on April 22.

With a background in American and contemporary art, Williams specializes in print media, performance art, film and video art, photography, and issues of race, gender, and time. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the history of art department at the University of Pennsylvania, Williams's dissertation titled “Scenes of Stamina: Endurance and Post-Plantation Geographies in Black Contemporary Video and Performance Art, 2003-2022” reflects their deep engagement with these themes.

Williams's previous work includes curatorial and arts programming roles, such as serving as an Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Summer Fellow for the exhibition “Elegy: Lament in the 20th Century” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2022. Most notably, they curated “A Space to Appear, A Space to Tarry: Michael Abramson’s Black Nightclubs of Chicago’s South Side Series” at AUTOMAT in Philadelphia in 2023.

In their new position, Williams will collaborate closely with John Jacob, the McEvoy Family Curator for Photography at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Their appointment is part of the museum's broader initiative to enhance its representation of African American photography, leveraging the recently acquired L.J. West Collection of early American photography and the Dr. Robert L. Drapkin Collection.

These collections, which include works by early African American daguerreotypists and a wide-ranging selection of photographs spanning from the 1840s to the 1970s, underscore the central role of photography in the self-representation of African Americans. Generous support from organizations like the Mellon Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Bank of America Art Conservation Project has facilitated research, conservation, and study of these invaluable collections.

The addition of Tamir Williams to the curatorial team further strengthens the Smithsonian American Art Museum's commitment to preserving and showcasing the diverse cultural heritage of America. Their expertise will contribute to expanding the museum's offerings and fostering a deeper understanding of African American art and history for audiences worldwide.