With more than a decade of experience working as a full-time curator, I have developed a distinctive approach to collaborating with artists that emphasizes commissioning new work, cross-disciplinary analysis, and critical writing. My curatorial practice frequently extends beyond the exhibition itself through public programs, performances, and social gatherings that reflect the ethical and conceptual concerns of the artists involved. My exhibitions and work have been supported by museums, non-profits, and galleries across the country.
I am a New York–based curator and writer whose practice approaches exhibition-making as an ongoing experiment. Across my projects, the standards of display, methods of interpretation, artist agency, and the conditions of public trust are continuously renegotiated. While appreciative of all forms of artistic production, my primary research interests center on institutional critique, transgressive practices, and conceptual art. I am drawn to artists who trouble, agitate, and reinvigorate the terms of cultural participation—those who question the limits of individuation and resist the protocols that predetermine how audiences encounter and interpret works of art.
With more than a decade of experience working as a full-time curator, I have developed a distinctive approach to collaborating with artists that emphasizes commissioning new work, cross-disciplinary analysis, and critical writing. My curatorial practice frequently extends beyond the exhibition itself through public programs, performances, and social gatherings that reflect the ethical and conceptual concerns of the artists involved. Through these initiatives, I often build alliances across institutions and communities, deepening the reach and impact of each project.
I have held curatorial roles at institutions including The Shed, Wave Hill, Montclair State University, and Residency Unlimited, and have organized exhibitions and programs for venues such as Below Grand, EFA Project Space, AIR Gallery, and Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, among others. My exhibitions and curatorial projects have received recognition and coverage from The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Artnet, and Filthy Dreams.
In addition to curating, I write regularly about contemporary art. My essays, criticism, and interviews have appeared in Sculpture Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Slate, Baron Books, Impulse Magazine, and Document Journal, among other publications. I frequently contribute catalogue essays, exhibition texts, and public talks that examine contemporary artistic practice through the lenses of social participation, institutional critique, and cultural circulation.
I am the founder of J. Firestone Arts, a curatorial and advisory practice that works with artists, collectors, and institutions to develop exhibitions, commissions, and cultural programming. Recent clients and collaborators include Baron Books (2025), Below Grand (2026), EFA Project Space (2026), AIR Gallery (2026), and Residency Unlimited (2025–present). My work is grounded in the belief that exhibitions can function not only as sites of display, but as social spaces where new forms of knowledge, collaboration, and cultural participation emerge.
Inquiries regarding curatorial projects, advisory services, writing, or commissions are welcome.