Hugh M. Davies - Jeff Yeomans

Hugh M. Davies: The David C. Copley Director: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

Hugh M. Davies received his A.B. (1970) summa cum laude, M.F.A. (1972), and Ph.D. (1976) from the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University. Since 1983, he has been The David C. Copley Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Davies has served as curator or co-curator for numerous MCASD exhibitions including: Robert Irwin: Primaries and Secondaries (2007), Francis Bacon: The Papal Portraits of 1953 (1999), William Kentridge: Weighing…and Wanting (1998), John Altoon (1997), Blurring the Boundaries: 25 Years of Installation Art (1996-97), and John Baldessari (1996). He was one of six co-curators who organized the Biennial 2000 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and in 1976 he served as Director of the U.S. Exhibition at the 37th Venice Biennale. From 1975 to 1983 he was the founding director of the University Gallery at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and since 1984 he has been a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors, a Trustee from 1994-2001, and President from 1997-1998.

Question #1 What is your highlight Visual art experience from the last year?

#1 "My highlight would be curating the Robert Irwin exhibition which MCASD presented in the Jacobs and 1001 Kettner buildings October ’07- March ’08 and writing/editing the catalogue/DVD that accompanied the exhibition. I consider Irwin to be California’s most protean artist for his innovation of Light and Space and the fact that he makes his home in San Diego is a big boost for all of us who care about culture in this region."

Question #2 What is your vision of the future of the Visual arts for San Diego?

#2 "I would wish to see San Diego become home to a greater number of significant artists due to having more exhibition opportunities, more collectors, more commercial galleries, more affordable housing and more inexpensive studio space. Let the cultural climate match the weather we enjoy."