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Draft:Irene Mei Zhi Shum

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  • Comment: In addition to the concerns around POV and tone, this article has major formatting mistakes. I would suggest a quick read of MOS:SECTIONS and MOS:INFOBOX for advice on how to properly format. Devonian Wombat (talk) 13:12, 18 June 2024 (UTC)
Birthplace: Hinsdale, Illinois, United States
Currently Resides In: New York, New York, United States
Education: Barnard College (B.A.), Yale University (M. Arch.)
Born: 1971

About:[edit]

Irene Mei Zhi Shum is a Chinese-American curator and arts executive based in New York City. She gained recognition for site specific art commissions and the activation of historic sites with contemporary art.[1]. Shum is the Vice President of the Williamsburg Biannual[2], an artist space in Brooklyn. She serves on the Visual Arts Panel for the New York State Council on the Arts[3] and Advisory Board for Project 14C[4], an artist residency program in Jersey City.

Other Names:[edit]

Irene Mei Zhi Shum’s Chinese name is 沈美芝. She is a great grand-daughter and direct descendant of Chinese military general Shen Hongying (沈鴻英) of Old Guangxi Clique during the Republic of China (1912–1949) from Hong Kong. Shum was married from 2006 to 2011[5], and during this period, she was cited and published as both Irene Allen and Irene Shum Allen[6].

Education:[edit]

Irene Shum holds a Bachelor of Arts (1994) in Architecture and Art History from Barnard College[7] of Columbia University; a certificate of architecture (1998) from Fontainebleau Schools, where she was awarded the Prix de Ville de Fontainebleau; and a Masters of Architecture (2000) from Yale University[8][9] where she studied under Zaha Hadid.

Early Career:[edit]

Irene Shum started her career as an Urban Corps Intern for the Department of City Planning of the City of New York contributing to the comprehensive waterfront plan published in 1992[10] and Multicultural Intern at the New Museum of Contemporary Art on the exhibition Temporarily Possessed: The Semi-Permanent Collection (1995)[11] that critically examined museum collection and exhibitions practices on the art market and artists’ careers[12][13]. She worked at The Whitney Museum of American Art and the National University of Singapore, before joining the Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Architecture and Design as a curatorial assistant reporting directly to Architecture Curator and Senior Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs Peter Reed, organizing MoMA’s first survey on landscape architecture and urban design, Groundswell: Constructing the Contemporary Landscape (2005)[14][15].

Glass House to Present[edit]

Shum established her reputation as the inaugural curator of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Philip Johnson Glass House[16][17][18] after organizing Veil[19][20][21][22][23]  by Fujiko Nakaya[24][25]; Narcissus Garden[26][27][28][29] and Dots Obsession[30][31][32][33][34] by Yayoi Kusama[35]; and Glass[36][37][38][39][40], a recorded performance by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai (who performs as alva noto)[41][42]. Her focus on “legacy” and advocacy for parity between intangible and tangible heritage in the field of historic preservation allowed her to introduce contemporary art into the historic context by preserving the “spirit” of the Glass House’s original occupants, architect Philip Johnson and curator David Whitney, who were well-known twentieth-century patrons of the arts[43]. This innovative approach earned her support from artists whom Johnson collected, including Frank Stella[44][45][46], Julian Schnabel[47][48][49][50], and  Bruce Nauman[51].

Additionally, Shum supported new research and scholarship, including Mark Lamster’s 2018 biography of Philip Johnson, The Man in the Glass House (Little Brown) as well as the rediscovery of Johnson’s lost Giacometti sculpture[52]. Her 2011 biography on David Whitney[53][54] drew the attention of The Menil Collection, where Whitney served as a trustee; and she was brought on as the associate curator of contemporary art in 2018[55][56][57]. In 2020, she was appointed the executive director of Art In General[58][59][60] to restructure the organization, which was led by Holly Block for 18 years but lost its primary source of funding, after a private equity group acquired its corporate benefactor in 2014. Shum and the board of directors voted to sunset the organization[61][62], when it could no longer withstand the prolonged financial constriction of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.  Shum organized commemorative programs[63] and donated its archives to the Smithsonian Archives for American Art[64][65], a full set of its publications to NYU Libraries, and remaining unsold inventory to the Art Resources Transfer[66][67] In 2021 and 2022, Shum organized projects as a guest curator for Mana Contemporary with its executive director Kele McComsey, including Land of the Free[68][69][70] and The You Voice[71] before co-founding the Williamsburg Biannual, an artist space in Brooklyn, New York in 2023.

Controversy[edit]

Shum’s appointment to the Menil in 2018 was cited in Artnet as an example of the slow progress in gender and racial diversity in the arts, as “white people made up 74 percent of senior staff in New York cultural institutions”[72] and “85 percent of curators across the U.S..[73]

See Also:[edit]

Glass (Composition)

Fujiko Nakaya

Art in General

List of Chinese Americans

List of Asian Americans

External Links:[edit]

Irene Shum

Irene Mei Zhi Shum at Americans for the Arts

Irene Mei Zhi Shum at  The Brooklyn Rail

Williamsburg Biannual

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Connecting the Dots: Glass House Curator Irene Shum Allen Talks Yayoi Kusama". Cultured (magazine). September 1, 2016. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  2. ^ "WASSUP | WILLIAMSBURG BIANNUAL". WB NYC. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. ^ "Visual Arts | NYSCA". arts.ny.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  4. ^ "Residency | ART FAIR 14C". artfair14c.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  5. ^ "Irene Shum and Duff Allen III". The New York Times. 2006-11-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  6. ^ "Connecting the Dots: Glass House Curator Irene Shum Allen Talks Yayoi Kusama". Cultured (magazine). September 1, 2016. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  7. ^ "5 Questions With ... A Seasoned Art Curator". Barnard College. May 1, 2020. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  8. ^ CAC : contemporary art center, Zaha Hadid Studio 2000, Yale School of Architecture. New York: Monacelli Press. 2001. ISBN 978-1-58093-093-2.
  9. ^ "Zaha Hadid: Teacher, Mentor, Muse, Architect; Constructs (Fall 2016)". Yale School of Architecture. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  10. ^ New York City: Comprehensive Waterfront Plan: Reclaiming the City's Edge (Summer 1992), Department of City Planning (DCP), City of New York. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/publications/cwp.pdf
  11. ^ "Exhibitions: Temporarily Possessed: The Semi-Permanent Collection, September 15-December 17, 1995". New Museum Digital Archive. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  12. ^ "Print & Ephemera: Temporarily Possessed: The Semi-Permanent Collection (exhibition catalog)". New Museum Digital Archive. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  13. ^ Smith, Roberta (1995-10-13). "ART REVIEW; It's All Semi-Permanent (Just Passing Through)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  14. ^ "Groundwell: Construction the Contemporary Landscape," Museum of Modern Art, February 25-May16, 2005 https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/117
  15. ^ Huxtable, Ada Louise. (May 4, 2005) "Down-to-Earth Masterpieces Of Public Landscape Design," The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111515970031423786
  16. ^ Nalpathanchil, Lucy (2016-07-29). "Inside The Glass House And Philip Johnson's Controversial Life". Connecticut Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  17. ^ Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, Jennifer Bangser in conversation with Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club's Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth with Glass House's Irene Shum. WPKN Community Radio, Bridgeport, CT. Philip Johnson Glass House Interview w/Chris Frantz + Tina Weymouth | August, 2016, retrieved 2024-06-14
  18. ^ Hales, Linda (2014-05-08). "Aspiring to the Trophy Garden". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  19. ^ Kuo, Michelle (2014-11-01). "FUJIKO NAKAYA AT THE GLASS HOUSE". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  20. ^ Mendelsohn, Meredith (2014-03-31). "Artist Fujiko Nakaya's Installation at Philip Johnson's Glass House". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  21. ^ "Fujiko Nakaya: Veil at The Glass House / Opening". Vernissage TV. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  22. ^ Kellogg, Craig (Nov 26, 2014). "Mystery and Transparency: Fujiko Nakaya's Fog Installation at the Glass House". Interior Design. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  23. ^ Lange, Alexandra (June 6, 2014). "Glass House Stages Fujiko Nakaya's 'Veil' exhibit," Architect (magazine). https://www.architectmagazine.com/Design/glass-house-stages-fujiko-nakayas-veil-exhibit_o
  24. ^ "Fujiko Nakaya: Veil". The Glass House. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  25. ^ "Fujiko Nakaya in Conversation with Irene Shum Allen / The Glass House". Vernissage TV. May 30, 2014. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  26. ^ Hodara, Susan (2016-07-01). "On the Glass House's Pond, Yayoi Kusama's Clattering Polka Dots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  27. ^ Eckardt, Steph (2016-09-01). "Yayoi Kusama Gives Philip Johnson's Glass House a Polka Dot Makeover". W Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  28. ^ "Kusama's Garden". Harper's BAZAAR. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  29. ^ Embuscado, Rain (2016-09-14). "Yayoi Kusama's Dots Overrun the Glass House". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  30. ^ Baumgardner, Julie (2016-09-06). "On the dot: Yayoi Kusama embellishes Philip Johnson's Glass House". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  31. ^ Sitz, Miriam (2016-09-27). "Yayoi Kusama's 'Dots Obsession' Closes at Philip Johnson's Glass House". Architectural Record. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  32. ^ W Magazine (2016-09-19). Yayoi Kusama's Glass House Takeover: Go Behind the Polka-Dot Scenes | W Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-14 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ Symonds, Alexandria (2016-09-01). "An Icon of Modernist Architecture — Covered in Polka Dots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  34. ^ "Yayoi Kusama's Glass House Exhibition Will Be Your New Obsession". Town & Country. 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  35. ^ "Yayoi Kusama". The Glass House. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  36. ^ Beta, Andy (Feb 16, 2018). "Alva Noto / Ryuichi Sakamoto: Glass: In a live recording from a site-specific 2016 performance at Philip Johnson Glass House, the Japanese polymath and the German mininalist balance piercing tones with emotional warmth". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  37. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (May 22, 2018). "Legendary Musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto Reflect On Using Philip Johnson's Glass House As An Instrument". Metropolis. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  38. ^ Weston-Noond, Alex (2018-06-11). "Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto — Glass". The Quietus. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  39. ^ "Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto | Exclaim!". Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto | Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  40. ^ Georgievski, Nenad (2018-02-10). "Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto: Glass album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  41. ^ Coultate, Aaron (Dec 11, 2017). "Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto collaborate on new album, Glass". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  42. ^ "Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto". The Glass House. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  43. ^ Rocchi, Julia (June 15, 2016). "In the "Narcissus Garden": Yayoi Kusuma Celebrates Philip Johnson at the Glass House". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  44. ^ Allen, Emma (2012-10-25). "Frank Stella Visits Da Monsta". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  45. ^ Vartanian, Hrag (2011-07-05). "Join Frank Stella as He Visits Philip Johnson's Iconic Glass House". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  46. ^ "Frank Stella: Scarlatti Kirkpatrick". The Glass House. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  47. ^ ""Julian Schnabel at the Glass House"". Nowness Asia. August 7, 2017. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  48. ^ Hodara, Susan. (May 9, 2017) "Intimat Julian Schnabel Painting Survey Opens at the Glass House," Hampton Arts Hub. https://hamptonsarthub.com/2017/05/09/features-intimate-julian-schnabel-painting-survey-opens-at-the-glass-house/
  49. ^ "Intimate Julian Schnabel Survey Opens at the Philip Johnson Glass House". Galerie (magazine). 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  50. ^ "Julian Schnabel: "Paintings that I hope Philip and David would like"". The Glass House. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  51. ^ VernissageTV (2014-07-30). Highlights of The Glass House Art Collection. Retrieved 2024-06-14 – via YouTube.
  52. ^ Kennedy, Randy (2012-09-20). "Understudies for a Giacometti". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  53. ^ Allen, Irene Shum. "David Grainger Whitney: A Curated Life and An Extraordinary Eye," Philip Johnson Glass House, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2011. (retrieved June 15, 2024) https://theglasshouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DW.FinalEssay.Illustrated.pdf
  54. ^ "News from the Philip Johnson Glass House," New Canaan Advertiser (newspaper)(Oct. 23, 2011) https://www.ncadvertiser.com/news/article/news-from-the-philip-johnson-glass-house-2232540.php
  55. ^ Article, News Desk (2018-03-27). "MENIL COLLECTION WELCOMES IRENE MEI ZHI SHUM AND NATALIE DUPêCHER TO ITS CURATORIAL STAFF". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  56. ^ "Menil Collection Announces Appointment of Two New Curators," Glasstire: Texas Visual Art. (March 27, 2018) https://glasstire.com/2018/03/27/menil-collection-announces-appointment-of-two-new-curators/
  57. ^ Greenberger, Alex (2018-03-27). "Menil Collection Names Irene Mei Zhi Shum and Natalie Dupêcher as Curators". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  58. ^ Article, Artnet News (2020-02-10). "Art Industry News: One of the World's Most Famous and Beloved Paintings Is Starting to Fade Away + Other Stories". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  59. ^ "Art in General appoints Irene Mei Zhi Shum as Executive Director". Art Daily. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  60. ^ Blay, Christopher. (February 12, 2020) "Menil's Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Heads to Art in General, New York," Glasstire: Texas Visual Art. https://glasstire.com/2020/02/12/menils-associate-curator-of-contemporary-art-heads-to-art-in-general-new-york/
  61. ^ Article, News Desk (2020-10-15). "ART IN GENERAL, LONG A NEW YORK STALWART, TO CLOSE AFTER FORTY YEARS". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  62. ^ Goldstein, Caroline (2020-10-15). "Art in General, the Beloved Alternative Art Space That Gave Many Stars Their First Shows, Will Close Due to the Pandemic". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  63. ^ "Celebrating Art in General". brooklynrail.org. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  64. ^ "Art in General records, 1981-2020 | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution". www.aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  65. ^ Proctor, Jacob (2021-12-07). "New Collections: Art in General Records". www.aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  66. ^ Greenberger, Alex (2020-10-15). "Art in General, Crucial New York Alternative Space, to Close Because of Covid-19". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  67. ^ Liscia, Valentina Di (2020-10-15). "Art in General, Beloved Brooklyn Arts Nonprofit, Announces Closure". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  68. ^ Davis-Marks, Isis (2022-06-29). "Three Exhibitions at Mana Contemporary Complicate the "American Dream"". Artsy. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  69. ^ McCALL, TRIS (2022-12-13). "Bold strokes: A look back at the best NJ art shows of 2022". NJArts.net. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  70. ^ "Land of the Free". brooklynrail.org. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  71. ^ McCall, Tris (2023-02-18). ""The You Voice" Closes at MANA With a One-Of-A-Kind Multimedia Performance". Jersey City Times. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  72. ^ Schneider, Tim (2018-04-02). "The Gray Market: Why the Brooklyn Museum Hiring Controversy Shows We Need Structural Action on Arts Diversity (and Other Insights)". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  73. ^ Schneider, Tim (2018-04-02). "The Gray Market: Why the Brooklyn Museum Hiring Controversy Shows We Need Structural Action on Arts Diversity (and Other Insights)". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
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