ANN PHILBIN

Since becoming director of the Hammer Museum at UCLA in January 1999, Ann Philbin has expanded the museum’s exhibitions, programs, and budget, increased the museum’s visibility, and completed the 300-seat Billy Wilder Theater.  In the past ten years Philbin has curated innumerous of exhibitions at the Hammer and instituted the ongoing Hammer Projects, a series of contemporary exhibitions and installations featuring local, national, and international artists such as: Amy Adler, Edgar Arceneaux, Kendell Carter, Angela Dufresne, Mark Grotjahn, Arturo Herrera, Runa Islam, Jesper Just, Margaret Kilgallen, Markus Linnenbrink, Erik van Lieshout, Barry McGee, Christine Nguyen, Song Kun, Kara Walker, and Pae White, among others. The Hammer Projects series provides international and local artists a laboratory- like environment to create new work, or to present existing work in a new context. To date there have been over eighty Hammer Projects and the Museum continues to present multiple Projects each year and reflects the Museum’s commitment to contemporary art.