US · International contemporary art platformThe Smithsonian American Art Museum has announced the appointment of Colin Fanning to its curatorial staff at the Renwick Gallery, the museum’s branch dedicated to contemporary craft and decorative art. Fanning assumed the position of Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft on September 21, 2026.
In his new role, Fanning’s responsibilities include research into collection objects, acquiring artworks for the museum’s collection, organizing exhibitions about craft and maker culture, and overseeing collection displays at the Renwick Gallery. These duties support the museum’s ongoing focus on craft and decorative art.
Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Fanning curated and co-curated several exhibitions in Philadelphia. His projects included “The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community” (2016), “Design Currents: Oki Sato, Faye Toogood, Zanini de Zanine” (2016–2017), “Dieter Rams: Principled Design” (2018–2019), “Designs for Different Futures” (2019–2020), “Rhythms of Nature: The Art and Design of DRIFT” (2022–2023), “Firing the Imagination: Japanese Influence in French Ceramics, 1860–1910” (2024–2025), “Naoto Fukasawa: Things in Themselves” (2024–2025), and “Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia” (2026).
Fanning’s writing has appeared in scholarly publications such as The Journal of Design History, The Public Historian, and The Journal of Glass Studies, as well as in periodicals including The Magazine Antiques and World of Interiors. He also serves on the boards of the American Friends of Attingham, the Decorative Arts Society Inc., and the Design Studies Forum.
Fanning earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in interior design from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in decorative arts, design history, and material culture from Bard Graduate Center. He is completing a doctoral dissertation on the Cranbrook Academy of Art’s graduate design program and its wider impact on creative education in the United States in the late 20th century.
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