Deana Haggag, The Contemporary executive director (episode 10)

Female Trouble

Artists matter, collaboration is key and audience is everywhere. Those are the three guiding principals of The Contemporary, a nomadic, non-collecting art museum that commissions projects throughout Baltimore and implements educational programs. Deana Haggag, who received her MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, was appointed director of The Contemporary when she was 26 years old. Deana, a native of Brooklyn and New Jersey, talked about the challenges that came with earning that job at a young age, and also about the often frustrating ways people talk about young women, particularly young women of color, who find success when they're young. Though she didn't grow up going to museums, Deana explained how art has always been a part of her life, and about what she hopes to see in Baltimore's arts community. Deana has learned a lot in these three years directing The Contemporary, as she's facilitated a bigger staff and budget, and she discussed how some of her perception of Baltimore and its communities have shifted, in addition to the role of The Contemporary and the arts after the death of Freddie Gray last year.