The Speed Art Museum brings two nationally recognized artists to Louisville every year through the Gilliam Visiting Artist Program. The program serves to connect these guest artists to our city’s creatives, students, and community members at large. The museum has just announced the appointment of Diallo Simon-Ponte as the Sam Gilliam Assistant Curator of Artist Programs, a new position that oversees and leads the program.
The Gilliam Visiting Artist Program was created in honor of the late Sam Gilliam, an African American artist who spent his formative years in the city of Louisville, taking influence in the city’s midcentury art scene. The creation of the program was made possible by the generosity of the Sam Gilliam Foundation. This year’s Gilliam Visiting Artists include Vanessa German and Eric N. Mack, who will connect with Louisville’s community through conversations, exhibitions, and public programs.
“The Sam Gilliam Foundation is excited for Diallo Simon-Ponte to assume his new position as the Speed Museum’s inaugural Sam Gilliam Assistant Curator of Artist Programs and for him to lead the Gilliam Visiting Artist Program,” said Annie Gawlak, President of the Sam Gilliam Foundation, in a press release. “Diallo’s extensive experience working with artists of diverse backgrounds and creating opportunities for meaningful engagement between artists and their communities makes him the ideal person to take on this role, extending Sam’s legacy of championing new generations of artists, nurturing artistic innovation, and fostering community engagement and cultural exchange.”
Diallo Simon-Ponte is the Founding Curatorial Director of the Limbo Museum in Accra, Ghana, a new cultural institution that labors at the intersection of social sculpture, architecture, art, community, research, and ruin. Previously, he worked at Gagosian Gallery, New York, where he contributed to exhibitions for renowned artists such as Derrick Adams, Rick Lowe, and Lauren Halsey. He has also curated and assisted in exhibitions globally, including in New York, London, and Accra, Ghana. Through his creative practice, he explores the transatlantic African diaspora as an active and transitional force across disciplines. His background in exhibition management, curatorial practice, and artist relations makes him an excellent fit in shaping the future of the Gilliam Visiting Artist Program.
“I am honored to join the Speed Art Museum in this new capacity,” said Simon-Ponte in a press release. “Sam Gilliam’s contributions to the art world, particularly his support of artists from Louisville, have shaped so much of what the Speed represents today. I am excited to further this legacy by creating new platforms for artists to engage with the community and inspire meaningful creative conversations.”
Press release provided by Kim Butterweck and Jackie Osman, The Speed Art Museum.
This article appears in Apr 11-24, 2025.