Brett Littman / Shakkei Consulting
Bio
30+ years of experience leading and financially strengthening museums, cultural institutions and galleries with a proven track record driving fundraising, capital projects, entrepreneurial initiatives, board evolution, and exhibitions and programs that engage diverse artists, patrons and audiences.
Brett Littman is the Director of Shakkei Consulting (“borrowed landscape” in Japanese) a consulting firm that develops organizational specific strategy and solutions to complex curatorial, management, programmatic, operational, entrepreneurial and legacy issues.
He was the Senior Director, US of Carpenters Workshop Gallery from 2024 - 2025, Director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City, New York from 2018 – 2023; Executive Director of The Drawing Center from 2007–2018; Deputy Director of MoMA PS1 from 2003–2007; Co-Director of Dieu Donné Papermill from 2001–2003 and Associate Director of Urban Glass from 1996–2001.
Littman’s interests are multi-disciplinary and he has personally curated more than thirty-five exhibitions focusing on visual art, outsider art, craft, design, architecture, poetry, music, science, and literature. He was named the curator of Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center for 2019 and 2020. He is also an art critic, lecturer, active essayist for museum and gallery catalogues and writes for a wide range of U.S. and international art, fashion, and design magazines.
A native New Yorker, Brett Littman received a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from France in 2017 and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.
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Professional Memberships, Juries, Teaching, Boards
• Lecturer, Global Art Seminar, Kyoto University of the Art, Japan: 2023
• Century Club, Member: 2014 - present
• NYC DCLA Mayor’s Advisory Board: 2021 - 2023
• AXA Art Award Juror: 2020
• Louis Comfort Tiffany Award Nominator: 2009 - present
• MacArthur Genius Award Nominator: 2013 - present
• Kyoto Prize nominator: 2015 - present
• Juror for Art Olympia, Japan: 2015, 2017, 2019
• Juror for Prix Canson: 2013, 2014, 2016
• Board Member and Advisor for Etant Donne and FACE: 2013 – 2016
• Member of American Association of Museum Directors: 2013 - 2023
Chair, Future of Museums Task Force: 2014 - 2016
• Advisor, Juror, Lecturer for Drawing Now Fair, Paris: 2012 - 2018
• Contemporary Curator Conference :2011, 2014
• 140 Foundation, Juror: 2011
• Founding Steering Committee Member for New Museum’s Ideas City: 2010 - 2016
• Triple Canopy, Board Member: 2010 – 2016
• Parson’s School of Art and Design, Adjunct Faculty: 2010
• Tensta Konsthalle, Board, Stockholm, Sweden: 2007 – 2008
• Contemporary Art Museum Director Group, Member: 2007 – 2023
• Member of International Art Critics Association (AICA): 2002 – present
• MTA Arts for Transit Panelist: 2002
• Dieu Donné Papermill, Board Member: 2000 – 2001 and
2003 – 2006
• Arts and Business Council’s Arts Leadership program, Columbia University: 1997
• B-Team, Board Member: 1996 – 1999
• Chair, Visual Arts and Music, Brooklyn Arts Council Regrant Panel: 1995 – 1999