Ian Berry

Ian Berry is the Dayton Director of The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, where he also serves as Professor of Liberal Arts. He has curated over ninety exhibitions, including interdisciplinary projects that merge scientific equipment, historical landscapes, and contemporary art. His work focuses on under-recognized artists and explores themes of race, gender, and identity in modern and contemporary visual culture.

• M.A., Curatorial Studies, Bard College (1998)
• B.A., Art History, University of New York at Albany (1995)

Berry’s research spans modern and contemporary art, curatorial practices, and museum history. He has organized monographic exhibitions with artists like Terry Adkins, Nicole Eisenman, and Kara Walker, while investigating the intersection of art, science, and pedagogy in exhibition-making.

His publications, including monographs on Corita Kent and Fred Tomaselli, have received awards from the American Association of Museums and AIGA. Berry’s curatorial philosophy emphasizes collaborative teaching, interdisciplinary exploration, and redefining the university museum’s role in education.

• First Prize, American Association of Museums publications award (Fred Tomaselli, 2009)
• Honorable mention, American Alliance of Museums publications award (Nancy Grossman, 2012)
• 2nd prize, American Association of Museums publications award (Kara Walker, 2003)

Berry actively contributes to academic discourse through lectures at institutions like Yale, CUNY, and the Hirshhorn Museum. He chairs the Visual Arts Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts and advises organizations including Cranbrook Academy and the Fabric Workshop and Museum.