Announcing the 2026 Class of the CCL/Mellon Foundation Seminar in Curatorial Practice

Now entering its twelfth year, the Seminar brings together twelve exceptional students from across the U.S. to explore the evolving roles and responsibilities of museums today.

The 2026 class will convene in person in New York City for an intensive two-week program this July. Through one-on-one mentorship, Columbia Business School coursework, conversations with leaders across the field, and site visits to a wide range of museums and art institutions, participants will gain insight into the many facets of curatorial practice.

The 2026 CCL/Mellon Seminar in Curatorial Practice Students are:

Danielle Burke, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Craft and Material Culture Studies
Isabel Elson-Enriquez, CUNY Graduate Center, Modern and Contemporary American Art
Rodrigo Guzman-Serrano, Cornell University, Contemporary Digital Art
Ava Hess, University of California Los Angeles, Islamic Art and Global Modernism
Jennifer Laffick, Southern Methodist University, 18th & 19th Century French Art
Cen Liu, CUNY Graduate Center, 17th & 18th Century Material Culture
Kimia Maleki, Johns Hopkins University, Islamic Art and Architecture
Mirella Maria, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Latin American Art
María de Lourdes Mariño Fernandez, Temple University, Modern and Contemporary Latin American and Caribbean Art
Heather Nickels, Columbia University, Art and Architecture of Africa and the Diaspora
Kale Serrato Doyen, University of Pittsburgh, Modern and Contemporary American Art and Architecture
Gabriella Shypula, Stony Brook University, Modern and Contemporary Art

With the support of the Mellon Foundation, CCL remains committed to providing advanced graduate students with the knowledge, experience, and professional networks needed to pursue careers in museums. This year’s class represents eight universities, including three that are new to CCL, and a wide range of scholarly interests, including Contemporary Caribbean art, Islamic art, 18th century French art, Contemporary African art, and more. Together, the class brings a dynamic range of expertise and research that will continue to shape and strengthen the field.

CCL is delighted to welcome the 2026 Seminar class into our network and looks forward to following their future accomplishments.