Melissa Rachleff Burtt

Melissa Rachleff Burtt is a Clinical Professor in the Visual Arts Administration Program at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Her work focuses on nonprofit arts management, artist-run galleries, and community-driven cultural initiatives. She holds a joint affiliation with the Art and Art Professions department.

Her professional career spans curatorial roles (including assistant curator at Exit Art), program officer positions at the New York State Council on the Arts (1999–2007), and extensive exhibition curation. Notable projects include the 2017 Inventing Downtown exhibition and publication, examining mid-20th century New York artist galleries, and the 2018 Narrative & Counternarrative archival exhibition at NYU Bobst Library.

Her research emphasizes alternative art spaces, community-art collaborations, and the historical documentation of marginalized art practices. Major publications include essays on DIY art movements (MIT Press, 2012) and academic-community museum partnerships (Kulturmanagement, 2013).

Her teaching integrates practical arts administration skills with critical analysis of institutional frameworks. Current research explores intersections between contemporary art and participatory historiography.