New School Names Pablo Helguera Vera List Director
Pablo Helguera takes over the Vera List Center for Art and Politics from Carin Kuoni, who led the center for 22 years.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
The New School has appointed artist Pablo Helguera as director of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics, succeeding Carin Kuoni. Helguera also takes on the role of director of the university's art collection, and he entered the post on Monday, November 2.
Why it matters
The appointment places a new leader at the helm of a center that has been directed by Kuoni for 22 years. It also gives New York City's art and policy community a new director for the university's postwar and contemporary art collection.
Kuoni led the Vera List Center for 22 years, while Helguera previously spent six years as an assistant professor at the New School's College of Performing Arts. The New School's art collection holds over 2,000 postwar and contemporary works, and the announcement does not detail any planned programming changes.
The players
Pablo Helguera
Pablo Helguera is an artist and educator with prior experience at the Museum of Modern Art and the New School.
Carin Kuoni
Carin Kuoni is a curator who led the Vera List Center for Art and Politics for 22 years before stepping down.
The New School
The New School is a private university in New York City that houses the Vera List Center and its art collection.
The details
Helguera previously directed adult and academic programs at the Museum of Modern Art for over a decade and directed the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship graduate program at the New School. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, received a Creative Capital grant, and holds an honorary doctorate from the Kansas City Art Institute.
Timeline
2008: Helguera becomes a Guggenheim Fellow.
2006: Helguera launches 'The School of Panamerican Unrest' road trip project, which began in Anchorage, Alaska.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Helguera enters the Vera List Center director role.
Season Trajectory
The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School has been a fixture of New York's arts-and-policy scene under Carin Kuoni's 22-year leadership. Helguera's arrival marks the first change in that leadership in over two decades.
For New York City readers interested in contemporary art and public programming, the appointment could shape exhibitions and talks at the Vera List Center. The announcement does not specify any immediate changes to public access or events.
The takeaway
Leadership transitions at long-running cultural institutions often signal shifts in programming, and readers interested in the Vera List Center can watch for announcements of its upcoming exhibitions and events under Helguera.
Further reading
Explore more New York City People coverage for context on local leadership appointments.
