Professor of Practice, Director of Arts Management Track

John Hatfield

John Hatfield has over 30 years’ experience with art organizations including as Executive Director of Socrates Sculpture Park, NY for 10 years, Deputy Director and various positions at the New Museum, NY for 17 years and served as Asst. Vice President for Memorial and Cultural Planning, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the New York State and City agency empowered to memorialize, recover, and rebuild lower Manhattan following the events of 9/11. His work has been dedicated to leading and managing arts organizations, supporting artistic endeavors, facilitating community engagement, and advocating for art and artists as change agents of society and civic life.   

He has taught at New York University, Museum Studies graduate program, participated on numerous juries for art commissions and grant making, consulted with municipalities on cultural development, presented at panels, contributed to exhibition monographs, and lectured extensively on contemporary art and culture nationally and internationally.  He is also a practicing artist. 

M.F.A. Tyler School of Art, Elkins Park, PA, 1989 
B.F.A. Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, 1986 

Selected published contributions: 

MONUMENTS NOW, Jeffrey Gibson, Xaviera Simmons, Paul Ramirez Jonas, Socrates Sculpture Park, NY, exhibition monograph, 2021 

Agnes Denes; Absolutes and Intermediates, The Shed, NY, retrospective monograph, 2020 

Virginia Overton: Built, Socrates Sculpture Park, exhibition monograph, 2018 

Nari Ward: G.O.A.T., again, Socrates Sculpture Park, exhibition monograph, 2014 

CIVIC ACTION, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Mary Miss, Natalie Jeremijenko, George Trakas, The Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park, NY, 2012 

Temporarily Possessed: The Semi-Permanent Collection, New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY, 1995