Eungie Joo, head curator of contemporary art at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art since 2017, has been fired amid claims of workplace conduct. The news was first reported by the San Francisco Standard.
“In accordance with institutional policy on workplace conduct, Eungie Joo was separated from SFMOMA on December 17,” a museum spokesperson told the Standard. “We do not comment on the specifics of personnel matters.” Joo has not made a public statement on the termination.
Joo joined SFMOMA as its first head curator of contemporary art following a series of prestigious curatorial appointments. As director and curator of education and public programs at the New Museum between 2007 and 2012, she oversaw the Museum as Hub initiative and also curated the institution’s 2012 triennial. Joo served as the artistic director of the 5th Anyang Public Art Project in South Korea, which opened in 2016, and curator of the 12th Sharjah Biennial in 2015. She had previously curated the Korean Pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale.
Joo’s curatorial work at SFMOMA focused on expanding its collection and planning exhibitions, many of which explored themes of the dynamics of race, power, and justice. Her recent projects included an interactive installation by artist Kara Walker, titled Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine). The installation is set to be on view at SFMOMA through Spring 2026.
Joo’s dismissal marks the latest high-profile staff shakeup for SFMOMA, which saw several resignations since 2020, including senior curator Gary Garrels and Neal Benezra, the museum’s director of 19 years. Benezra was replaced by Christopher Bedford in 2022.
