Discussions
Curator Talk: Denise Murrell—Matisse and Martinique in Context
Join us for an illuminating lecture by Dr. Denise Murrell that explores her work as the inaugural Fellow of the Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies and guest curator of Matisse and Martinique: Portraits and Poetry. Dr. Murrell is a distinguished art historian and curator whose work has reshaped scholarly and public understanding of 19th- and 20th-century art through the lenses of race, representation, and modernism.
Dr. Murrell brings her acclaimed scholarship to a rarely explored moment in Matisse’s work, exploring his brief visit Martinique in the 1930s and his collaborations with Caribbean and international models and artists through illustration.
Tickets
Free. Registration is required.
Schedule
5:30 p.m. – Doors open
6–7:15 p.m. – Opening remarks & lecture
About Dr. Denise Murrell
Dr. Denise Murrell is a distinguished art historian and curator whose work has reshaped scholarly and public understanding of 19th- and 20th-century art through the lenses of race, representation, and modernism. She is currently the Merryl H. and James S. Tisch Curator at Large at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she curated The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism (2024). Murrell became internationally recognized for Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today (Columbia University, 2018–2019), a landmark exhibition and catalogue that examined the central role of Black models in the development of modern art. She served as co‑curator of its expanded presentation at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and at Mémorial ACTe in Guadeloupe (2019). Murrell served as the inaugural Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies Fellow at the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Center from Matisse Studies from 2021-2024. She holds a B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University, where she also earned a master’s degree after earlier studies at Hunter College. Before entering the museum field, Murrell had a successful career in finance, an experience that continues to inform her approach to large‑scale international exhibitions. In recognition of her contributions to art history and Franco‑American cultural exchange, she was named a Chevalier (Knight) de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2022.
Accessibility
This event will include ASL interpretation and live captioning by Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible and assistive listening devices are available. Please see Accessibility at BMA for additional resources to support your visit.
If there are any additional accommodations or resources we can provide to support your attendance, please call 443-573-1701 or email visitorexperience@artbma.org. Advance notice is appreciated but not required.
Image: Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954). Haitian Woman with Hoop Earring. 1945. Baltimore Museum of Art, Marguerite Matisse Duthuit Collection, BMA 2010.241