Carlyn Thomas

Carlyn Thomas (they/them) is the Curatorial Assistant of Contemporary Art as well as an independent curator and arts administrator. They joined the BMA in 2019 to support the acclaimed Joan Mitchell retrospective (2022) and have since shepherded many other projects such as Now is the Time: Recent Acquisitions to the Contemporary Collection, the Elijah E. Cummings Portrait Commission, Sharon Lockhart: Perilous Life, BMA Screening Room, the Mickalene Thomas Terrace Gallery, and Screen House initiatives. Carlyn is currently supporting The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, curated by Asma Naeem and set to open in 2023. They previously co-founded and directed Terrault Gallery (2014-2020), a contemporary alternative art space in the Bromo Arts District, and have also worked at Maryland Art Place and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. They are originally from Baltimore and hold a BA in art history and museum studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) with an emphasis on modern and contemporary art. Carlyn is also a certified Sommelier.