Siedell to leave Sheldon for UNO

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BY L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / Lincoln Journal Star

Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery curator Daniel Siedell is leaving the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s art museum to teach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Siedell, Sheldon’s curator since July 1996, has accepted a tenure-track faculty appointment at UNO. Beginning this fall, he will teach modern and contemporary art history, criticism and theory in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media at UNO.

“I’ve had an enjoyable 10-plus years working at Sheldon,” Siedell said. “I’m at a point where I’m ready to go in a different direction. I’m interested in pursuing in greater depth my interest in teaching, writing and more in-depth curatorial projects.”

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Dan Siedell

Dan Siedell

Siedell’s departure will leave Sheldon without both a curator and director for some time in the fall. Last month, Sheldon Director Janice Driesbach announced her resignation effective in September.

“The intention is that my successor would be hiring the open curatorial position,” Driesbach said. “Given they’ll be responsible for the artistic program, that seems an appropriate process.”

While having director and curator positions open at the same time is unusual for Sheldon, such dual vacancies are relatively commonplace in museums, Siedell said.

In moving from a museum to academia, Siedell is part of a trend recently described in ARTFORUM magazine in which curators are going to colleges and universities to work more closely with artists free of museum constraints.

Over the past few years, Siedell said, he has spoken with a number of artists about possible projects. The UNO position will allow him to develop those projects, which will take longer than similar museum efforts, result in more ambitious publications than have been done at Sheldon and require more in-depth analysis and reflection, he said.

He also plans to involve his students in the projects.

“I’m looking forward to providing opportunities for my students to participate in my curatorial work and to provide them with a more in-depth exposure to contemporary art than is afforded in textbooks,” Siedell said.

Driesbach said she expects Siedell to be an excellent addition to the UNO art faculty.

“Dan is very talented, both as a scholar and curator,” she said. “He’s been responsible for many innovative programs coming here — the Chris Ware show and Enrique Martinez Celaya’s ‘Coming Home’ most recently.

“He will be missed. But he will also be a strong addition for UNO.”

Siedell will finish work on the upcoming Sheldon Invitational and other projects before beginning his UNO duties.

“What I’m most proud of, in general, is introducing Sheldon to a new generation of contemporary artists and particularly the work of Enrique Martinez Celaya, which has led to acquisitions, the University of Nebraska Press distributing (Celaya’s) Whale & Star publications and several exhibitions,” he said.

“Anatomy of Charley Friedman,” the first museum show for the Lincoln native who lives in New York City, will be the last single-artist show Siedell will curate at Sheldon. It opens May 11.

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.