New York’s Museum of Sex has announced that Ariel Plotek will serve as its first chief curator. Plotek arrives to the institution from Santa Fe’s Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, where since 2018 he had been curator of fine art. In his new role, Plotek will lead curatorial and collection efforts at the Museum of Sex, planning and curating exhibitions at the New York location as well as those at the institution’s recently erected Miami branch, which is slated to open to the public this fall.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Ariel Plotek join the Museum of Sex as our chief curator, as his extensive experience and culturalinterests align perfectly with our vision to engage a wide range of audiences through innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions,” said Daniel Gluck, executive director and founder of the museum.

While at the O’Keeffe Museum, Plotek organized exhibitions including “Georgia O’Keeffe: Making a Life,” which is on view through March 2024, and a 2021–22 solo show of the work of Josephine Halvorson, the institution’s inaugural artist-in-residence. Prior to assuming his post there, he was curator of modern and contemporary art at the San Diego Museum of Art, where he curated shows by artists including Nancy Lorenz and Ron Nagle. Plotek obtained his BA from London’s Courtauld Institute of Art,; he  earned his Ph.D. from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, where he studied under Linda Nochlin and Robert Rosenblum.

“The scope of exhibitions at the Museum of Sex opens new worlds of opportunity for a curator like myself, with wide-ranging cultural and creative interests,” said Plotek. “After more than twenty years in New York, the opening of a major second location in Miami marks a milestone for the Museum, and I am honored to be a part of this ambitious and exciting future.”