The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elisabeth Sherman as Robert A. and Elizabeth Rohn Jeffe Chief Curator and Deputy Director. In this role, effective September 8, 2025, Sherman will serve on the Museum’s leadership team and will oversee the staff and strategy for curatorial, exhibitions, public programs, the FAO Schwarz Education Center, and the Museum’s collection of 750,000 objects.

Sherman brings a distinguished record of curatorial leadership, most recently serving as Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the International Center of Photography (ICP). Prior to ICP, Sherman held curatorial roles at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she organized and co-organized many critically acclaimed exhibitions. With this appointment, following an international search, Sherman will lead 25 MCNY staff members across four departments, reporting to Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, Ronay Menschel Director and President.

“We are thrilled to welcome Elisabeth to the Museum of the City of New York,” said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort. “She brings outstanding curatorial vision and a proven ability to engage audiences through thought-provoking exhibitions, while advancing scholarship at world-class institutions. Her leadership will be key to shaping the Museum’s next chapter.” At the Whitney, Sherman curated or co-curated Dawoud Bey: An American Project; Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950–2019; and the Whitney's presentation of Zoe Leonard: Survey. Earlier curatorial credits at the Whitney include: Between the Waters, Bunny Rogers: Brig Und Ladder; and Flatlands; among others. At ICP, she has curated exhibitions including Sheida Soleimani: Panjereh, currently on view; Yto Barrada: Part-Time Abstractionist; ICP at 50: From the Collection, 845–2019; David Seidner: Fragments, 1977-99; and Muriel Hasbun: Tracing Terruño. Sherman has written for and edited numerous exhibition catalogues and artists’ monographs, as well as contributed to Artforum and Art in America. She received her B.A. from Dartmouth College and her M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

“I am excited to join the staff of the Museum of the City of New York as it deepens its role in the city as a space that encourages dialogue, discovery, and connection,” commented Sherman. “The Museum has long been a vital institution that illuminates the New York City’s rich, complex history while exploring the issues that shape its future. I look forward to working with the team to create exhibitions and programs that inspire curiosity, foster civic engagement, and reflect the extraordinary diversity of New York.”

Sherman succeeds Sarah Henry, Ph.D., who has worked for the Museum since 2001 and led the Museum’s curatorial department, exhibitions, publications, and collections from 2005 to present. Henry also served as Interim Director from January 2023 to August 2024. As Senior Scholar and Curator Emerita, Henry will continue contributing to key Museum projects, including The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution.