Biography

Jessica Duby is an independent curator based in Brooklyn, NY. Many of her curatorial collaborations so far have focused on the values of ritual, gathering, and healing. She recently curated the group show Bodies We Inhabit, presented online by Latela Curatorial in 2021 and slated to be exhibited at NARS Foundation in 2023, and is currently working on an exhibition of contemporary artists redefining altars, The Art of Offering. Jessica holds a master’s degree in Arts Politics from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Central Florida.

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About her goals for the Fellowship:
"I’m interested in the possibility of creating a textured site-specific exhibition in collaboration with the NARS Satellite Artists in Residence. I plan to research the hyper-local histories of Governor’s Island and the NARS Satellite house, and to gain an understanding of how working in this exceptional environment informs the resident artists’ practices through ongoing discussions and studio visits. I would love to see if there’s potential for a show that centers the artists perspectives, speaks to the creative and ecological generativity to be found on the island today, and contextualizes both within the island’s complicated political history. I’m excited to learn from the artists and the NARS team, and to see how a connective exhibition narrative reveals itself over the course of the six months on the Island."

About the Satellite Program (2020-2022)

Throughout three summer seasons, NARS hosted over 15 artists and one curatorial fellow as part of the NARS x Governors Island Satellite Residency Program. Those selected had access to a working space and benefited from the vibrant community of artists and institutions working at The Island.  

The satellite program in GI was a unique opportunity for NARS as it greatly impacted the visibility of our organization’s mission: to provide direct support to emerging artists and curators. The location of Governors Island made it not only accessible to visitors from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond, but applicable to the communities which we serve, while simultaneously expanding our reach to new audiences.