Parrish Art Museum Announces Klaus Ottman as Robert Lehman Curator
WATER MILL, NY — Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Executive Director of the Parrish Art Museum, announced the appointment of Klaus Ottmann as the Museum’s Robert Lehman Curator. Ottmann, who previously held the position from 2008 to 2010 and re-joined the Parrish in 2023 as Adjunct Curator of the Collection, brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in the visual arts. The Robert Lehman Foundation has been a long-standing supporter of the Parrish Art Museum, which includes a major donation for the construction of the new building in Water Mill, NY.
“The Robert Lehman Curator is a crucial position that contributes the curator’s expertise and vision to the Museum’s acquisitions, exhibitions, and publications,” said Dr. Ramírez-Montagut. “In Klaus, we have an experienced and renowned colleague who has been a key member of the curatorial team. His deep and nuanced knowledge of our institutional strengths and collections are manifested in exhibitions such as Jennifer Bartlett: History of the Universe—Works 1970–2011 (2011) and Savages: Pollock, Ossorio, Dubuffet (2013) as well as last year’s James Brooks: A Painting Is a Real Thing. I am delighted to welcome Klaus back into a full curator position and look forward to his scholarly and academic contributions in the coming years.”
In his new role, Ottmann will collaborate with the Parrish Art Museum leadership and curatorial team on exhibitions aligned with the Museum’s strategic plan, including preparations for the U.S. Semiquincentennial exhibitions in 2026. The following exhibitions, curated by Dr. Ottmann will open this year:
- A New Subjectivity 1979/2024
- Charlotte Park: The Life of Forms in Color
Dr. Ottmann’s recent curatorial work with the Parrish Art Museum includes the 2023 exhibition and publication, James Brooks: A Painting Is a Real Thing. He also organized the critically acclaimed exhibitions Jennifer Bartlett: History of the Universe—Works 1970–2011 (2011), which was shown at the Parrish and at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and Savages: Pollock, Ossorio, Dubuffet (2013), which he co-curated with Dorothy Kosinski and shown at the Parrish and at The Phillips Collection.
Philip Isles of the Robert Lehman Foundation said, “We could not be more pleased at the return of Klaus Ottman as Robert Lehman Curator at the Parrish. His distinguished career as a curator and scholar and deep knowledge of the Parrish Collection will be an invaluable asset to the curatorial team.”
Corinne Erni, Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Chief Curator of Art and Education, and Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, added, “We are thrilled that the Robert Lehman Foundation will enable our longstanding relationship with Klaus Ottmann to continue. I look forward to working with Klaus in his new role on the upcoming fall exhibitions and future projects aligned with the Museum’s missions and goals.”
Dr. Ottmann added, “It is a privilege to be appointed in the position of Robert Lehman Curator at the Parrish for a second time, a title previously held by such distinguished curators as Donna De Salvo and Klaus Kertess.”
About Klaus Ottmann
Klaus Ottmann is an independent curator, writer, and translator based in New York City. He is the Robert Lehman Curator at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY and Chief Curator Emeritus of The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. He is also the publisher and editor of Spring Publications, a small publishing press specializing in books on psychology, philosophy, religion, the history of ideas, mythology, classics, comparative literature, art, and ecology. From 1991 to 1995 he was the publisher and editor of the Journal of Contemporary Art. In 2016, Dr. Ottmann was conferred the insignia of chevalier of France’s Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. In 2023, he received the Extraordinary Contribution to The Phillips Collection Award. His publications include George Condo: The Way I Think, Jennifer Bartlett & Pierre Bonnard: In and Out of the Garden, Yves Klein by Himself: His Life and Thought; and The Genius Decision: The Extraordinary and the Postmodern Condition.
About the Robert Lehman Foundation
The Robert Lehman Foundation’s goal is to further Robert Lehman’s charitable vision, supporting the visual arts in ways that enhance the appreciation, knowledge, and enjoyment of this vital aspect of our culture. The Robert Lehman Foundation supports museum exhibitions, art education programs, scholarly publications, capital projects, and art history lectureships that complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and advance the goal of identifying the Foundation with serious scholarly and creative endeavors. The Foundation strongly believes that access to the arts provides opportunities and resources that markedly improve the lives of people and communities.
About the Parrish Art Museum
The Parrish Art Museum is a place to discover and connect with artists and art with a focus on the rich creative legacy of the East End and its global impact on the art world. Inspired by the natural setting and historically artistic community of Long Island’s East End, the Parrish Art Museum celebrates its legacy through a distinctive contemporary lens and socially conscious global context. The Parrish illuminates the creative process and how art, architecture, and design transform our experiences and communities, and how we relate to the world. Access to relevant cultural engagement, artistic inspiration, a natural environment, and architectural ingenuity characterizes the Museum experience as a unique destination for the region, the nation, and the world.
Contact:
Melanie Tolan | tolanm@parrishart.org
