Margo Handwerker Appointed Dean of the Glassell School of Art Core Residency Program
Introduction
In an exciting new development, Margo Handwerker has been appointed as the dean of the Core Residency Program at the Glassell School of Art, part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Dr. Handwerker, an accomplished artist, curator, and arts administrator, will begin her role in mid-August 2024.
Leadership and Vision
In this newly created position, Dr. Handwerker will oversee key initiatives of the Core Residency Program. Her responsibilities include managing the residency program for artists and writers, directing the visiting artists program, and organizing annual exhibitions for the school’s three gallery spaces.
Dr. Handwerker’s Background
Dr. Handwerker brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She was previously the curator and director of the Texas State Galleries at Texas State University in San Marcos. During her tenure from 2016 to 2024, she led numerous significant exhibitions and artistic programs, collaborating with both university departments and community institutions.
Impactful Exhibitions
Among her notable projects were:
- Homestead (2021): An exhibition of Bill Hutson’s work, celebrating the abstract painter’s ties to San Marcos’s Dunbar neighborhood.
- Mind Windows (2023): Showcasing Robert Rios’s contributions to the Chicano art movement as a member of the Con Safo collective.
Dr. Handwerker also initiated an annual series of commissioned place-based artists’ projects. These included Stuart Hyatt’s “Glen Rose Formation” and Bryony Roberts’s “Strong as an Acre of Garlic,” both of which explored unique aspects of Texan culture and history.
Broad Experience and Contributions
Since 2011, Dr. Handwerker has been a curator with M12 Studio, a Colorado-based collective focusing on public space, rural cultures, and landscapes. Her work has been featured internationally, including at SITE Santa Fe and the 13th Venice Biennale of Architecture. She has also held academic positions at UCLA and contributed extensively to publications on embedded artist practices.
Academic Credentials
Dr. Handwerker’s academic achievements include:
- A Ph.D. in Architectural History and Theory from Princeton University
- A Master’s degree in Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- A Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Indiana University, Bloomington
About the Core Residency Program at the Glassell School of Art
Established in 1982, the prestigious Core Residency Program at the Glassell School of Art offers postgraduate residencies for art critics and visual artists who have completed their undergraduate or graduate training and are working to develop a sustainable practice. Residents engage with a wide range of leading artists, critics, curators and scholars who are invited to meet individually with the residents, lead seminars and deliver public lectures. Fellows are selected from applicants internationally and admitted in the fall, with the residency culminating in a spring exhibition and accompanying publication. Alumni of the program have included Leandro Erlich, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Julie Mehretu, Shahzia Sikander, Leslie Hewitt, Danielle Dean, and Sondra Perry. The deadline for the 2025–26 term is April 1, 2025. mfah.org/core
About the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Spanning 14 acres in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, the main campus comprises the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. Nearby, two house museums—Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, and Rienzi—present collections of American and European decorative arts. The MFAH is also home to the Glassell School of Art, with its Core Residency Program and Junior and Studio schools; and the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), a leading research institute for 20th-century Latin American and Latino art. mfah.org
