(New York, January 31, 2022)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today the appointment of Laura Filloy Nadal as Associate Curator for the Arts of the Ancient Americas. She will join the staff of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, where the Museum’s collection of Mesoamerican art is housed, this spring. Dr. Filloy Nadal is a specialist in pre-Hispanic and early colonial Latin American art, archaeology, and cultures. A seasoned museum curator, she has also served with distinction as a senior research conservator at Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology (MNA) and professor at both professional schools of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level classes in archaeological conservation.
“At The Met, our collection of art of the ancient Americas spans five millennia, more than one hundred distinct cultures, and a vast range of materials—from monumental stone sculpture to delicate, small-scale works in gold, jade, and shell. Dr. Filloy Nadal’s expertise will be invaluable in the renovation of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing that is currently underway, and as the Museum continues the work of addressing the global scope of artistic expression,” stated Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director.
“For more than 25 years, as a curator, conservator, professor, and advisor, Laura has studied the cultural biography of objects—how they were made and used, what they mean, how and why they were collected, how they have been preserved and displayed, and what their display in museums can teach us about specific histories as well as our shared humanity. She is both a skilled project manager who has overseen multidisciplinary research teams and a museum professional committed to international dialogue. Those of us who have collaborated with her on past projects have great admiration for her. As our department continues the work of reenvisioning, rethinking, and reinstalling our galleries in the coming years, we are delighted to welcome Laura to the Museum,” said Alisa LaGamma, Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.
“It is a true pleasure to be coming to The Met,” said Dr. Filloy Nadal. “In the course of my professional life, there have been many opportunities to develop outstanding partnerships with members of the Museum’s impressive team. I look forward to deepening and strengthening this relationship through daily interaction and to contributing to the work of activating The Met’s superb collection of ancient American art for its local and international audiences.”
Dr. Filloy Nadal holds a BA from Mexico’s National School of Conservation, Restoration, and Museography (part of the INAH). She earned her MA and PhD in archaeology at the University of Paris, Panthéon-Sorbonne. She has been a visiting scholar at Princeton University, Sapienza University of Rome, Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University, and Musée du quai Branly and held research and conservation fellowships at The British Museum, the Palace of Versailles, and Dumbarton Oaks.
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January 31, 2022
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