Maia Murphy is an art historian, writer, and curator with a focus on contemporary, process-based practice and a passion for international heritage sites. Murphy received her B.A. from Barnard College in Art History and her M.A. from Hunter College in Art History with a concentration in Modern and Contemporary Art. She was awarded a Kossak Grant for international travel for her research into the Scandinavian weaver Hannah Ryggen. The resulting thesis, Hannah Ryggen: Radicalizing the Loom in Norway, 1922-1958, is among the most in-depth examinations of this artist’s life and work available and includes translations of texts into English for the first time.
Murphy has worked for Recess Activities, Michael Werner Gallery, Taschen, and Creative Time. She has delivered lectures or participated in panels at The Lowe Art Museum, Islington Mill, and the International Studio Curatorial Program. She has curated or contributed to research for exhibitions at The United Nations, The Cyprus Museum, Pioneer Works, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Art Gallery, among others. Murphy is a founding member of two artist residency networks, Rethinking Residencies and Common Field, and currently serves as an advisory board member for Recess Activities. Murphy’s writing has been published by a variety of sources including Blue Shield International, The Reanimation Library, The Artist’s Institute, The Paris College of Art, The Abrons Art Center and Bomb Magazine.
Murphy is currently the Program Officer for the New York Seascape at the Wildlife Conservation Society. She was selected as one of L Magazine’s 30 Under 30 for her curatorial work, was selected as a research fellow for The Artist’s Institute, and was the recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Hunter College Art History Faculty. She can be found at @maiakmurphy on Instagram.
Maia Murphy 