Michael Rooks

The High Museum’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Michael Rooks, talks about why he will acquire work by young artists, and also discusses the less glamorous, but fundamental responsibilities of the curator including archival concerns, deaccessioning and museum fundraising.

“While it might sound bureaucratic, I think that it is great exercise for me to be able to present a plan for how the museum work fits within the scope of the collection, and how we plan to care for it, show it, and also how we plan to pay for it.”

Michael Rooks is the Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. Rooks also served as the Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Artist Relations at Haunch of Venison, New York, and held curator positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Contemporary Museum Honolulu, and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. He received a Master of Arts degree in modern art history, theory and criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.