Pablo Helguera appointed director of The New School's Vera List Center
Artist and educator Pablo Helguera appointed to lead The New School's Vera List Center for Art and Politics.
Pablo Helguera (photo You Hah Kim, courtesy Vera List Center for Art and Politics) (Photo via Hyperallergic)
The New School has named artist, educator, and writer Pablo Helguera as the new director of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics. Helguera officially stepped into the role on Nov. 2, 2026, succeeding Carin Kuoni, who led the organization for 22 years.
In addition to his leadership at the center, Helguera will serve as the director of The New School Art Collection. The collection consists of more than 2,000 contemporary and postwar works.
Helguera previously worked as an assistant professor and director of the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship graduate program at the university's College of Performing Arts. His background also includes over a decade as the director of adult and academic programs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Vera List Center, established in 1992, functions as an artist-centered research institution and public forum. JK Brown, chair of the center's advisory board, said Helguera was chosen for his artistic vision and experience in socially engaged art.
Reflecting on his new position, Helguera noted the importance of addressing current events and questioning existing narratives. He stated that he feels an urgency to make sense of rapidly unfolding events and to imagine alternative futures.