Tucson Museum of Art names new curator | News

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block announced that Meg Jackson Fox, Ph.D., will join the institution in November as its inaugural chief of curatorial and convergent practice, underscoring the museum’s commitment to advancing its mission and strengthening connections with communities across Southern Arizona.

With this appointment, TMA signals a bold direction — one that will deepen partnerships with artists, institutions and community members while positioning the museum as a hub for cultural exchange, creativity and collaboration.

The new role marks a strategic step toward aligning TMA’s curatorial, programmatic and operational work. By evolving the museum’s longstanding strengths in collections, exhibitions, education, historic properties and nationally recognized community-based curation, TMA is positioning itself for a dynamic future.

Jackson Fox currently serves as director of the Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry and head of education at the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. As a member of the senior leadership team, she helps guide creative direction, institutional strategy, fiscal priorities and organizational growth. During her tenure, she contributed to innovative installations of the permanent collection, advanced interdisciplinary teaching models and played a central role in transformative artist commissions and major institutional projects.

She previously served as curator of interdisciplinary and community practices at the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, where she led curatorial projects for the Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery, known for its experimental installations and multidisciplinary storytelling. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor of global art history at the University of Denver.

Throughout her career, Jackson Fox has contributed to major institutional projects including The Linda McCartney Retrospective, Sessions on Creative Photography: Hazel Larsen Archer, Theaster Gates: Unto Thee and Afterlives: Engaging Objects of Religious Origin in Museum Collections.

At TMA, Jackson Fox will build on the museum’s strong foundation of curatorial and community practice, advancing a vision that integrates collection stewardship, education, engagement and exhibition-making. She will further develop TMA’s nationally recognized model of community-based curation — a collaborative framework that redefines how exhibitions are developed, interpreted and experienced by reflecting local voices and multiple perspectives.

“TMA is leaning into our region and embracing new ways of living out our mission of connecting art to life,” said Anne Breckenridge Barrett, Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO. “My colleagues have built an award-winning practice, and our collections of Latin American, contemporary, and art of the American West remain central to who we are. Meg’s leadership will deepen the museum’s commitment to best practices while opening pathways for dialogue, creativity and cultural understanding. Her expertise and vision will help us evolve our practice and ensure TMA’s work resonates across Southern Arizona and beyond.”

By embracing a model of convergent practice, TMA aims to honor its past while charting a future that brings the region together through the transformative power of art.

“The museum’s renewed focus on financial discipline, operational strength and curatorial innovation will position us for bold new exhibitions and programs,” said Board of Trustees President Josh King. “Meg’s appointment, alongside the leadership of our new CEO, brings fresh energy to TMA. The board looks forward to supporting them as we continue to serve and grow our community.”

Jackson Fox will begin her new role on Nov. 3, 2025.