Clark Atlanta hires Danille Taylor to direct its art museum

CAU administrator and visual artist Sam D. Burston praised Dr. Taylor’s “commitment and passion for the CAU Museum,” he said in the statement.

Clark Atlanta University has appointed Danille Taylor, Ph.D., as director of its art museum, according to a news release. 

Taylor has served as interim museum director since August 2022 and is a professor of African American Studies. In a statement, Jaideep Chaudhary, dean and professor of the School of Arts and Sciences, said, “Dr. Taylor’s experience, determination, and perseverance serve her well in this role.”

Taylor led the museum’s reopening in October 2022 with three new exhibitions, including “Our Friend Jean, the Early Works of Jean Michele Basquiat,” which attracted more than 1,300 visitors, according to the news release. 

Taylor has 17 years of experience in higher education administration. She has served as dean of three universities that house art museums throughout her career. Per the news release, the professor also taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and African American Studies, a Master of Arts degree in African American Studies from Boston University, and a Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees in American Studies from Brown University.

Additionally, she studied at Boston University under Edmund Barry Gaither, founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston, and the first president of the African American Museums Association, per the news release. 

Chaudhary said, “Danille was instrumental in bringing the collective works of Basquiat, one of the museum’s most successful exhibitions, to Clark Atlanta University.” 

Univeristy administrator and visual artist Sam D. Burston praised Dr. Taylor’s “commitment and passion” for the museum in the statement.

Burston also noted that in Taylor’s new role as director, she “will not only elevate the university treasure to a renewed level of excellence and awareness; she will also develop programs and key initiatives which will honor the legacy of its founder, Hale Woodruff, while showcasing the significant essence of African American culture through our historic art collection.”

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