RENNY PRITIKIN NAMED CHIEF CURATOR OF CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM IN SAN FRANCISCO

Renny Pritikin has been appointed chief curator of the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, effective April 28. Pritikin was previously director of the Nelson Gallery and Fine Arts Collection (2004 to 2010), chief curator of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (1992 to 2004), and codirector of New Langton Arts (1979 to 1992). His curatorial work gave early support to the careers of artists including Nayland Blake, Nancy Rubins, Fred Tomaselli, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, and Chris Johanssen, and brought the work of such artists as Tim Hawkinson, Tom Friedman, Doris Salcedo, and many others to the Bay Area for the first time.

Said executive director Lori Starr: “As a Jewish institution seeking to engage the broader public, this museum requires a curator whose intellectual passions transcend boundaries. Renny is, quite simply, the ideal candidate . . . . [He] is beloved by artists across all the disciplines. He has championed many artists and mentored so many curators in the field, encouraging risk-taking and originality.”