July 12, 2023 1002 PM
MARFA — The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati this week announced the appointment of José Noé Suro to its board of trustees and the election of Board Chair Lee Baumann Cohn and Board Co-chair Sam Hamilton. They succeed Mack Fowler and Annabelle Selldorf, who have served as board chair and board co-chair since 2018.
Both Fowler and Selldorf will continue to serve on Chinati’s Board of Trustees, where they have served since 2005 and 2009, respectively. The outgoing chair and co-chair celebrated the appointment of Suro, who brings with him a rich artistic background and leadership experience.
“We are delighted to welcome José to Chinati’s board,” said Fowler and Selldorf in a joint statement. “His demonstrated commitment to artists, architects, and designers will support Chinati’s mission broadly. We look forward to working with José and benefiting from the fresh and valuable perspectives he will bring to the museum.”
José Noé Suro is the director of Mexico’s leading ceramics studio, Cerámica Suro, in Guadalajara, Mexico. He has turned what was once a family workshop, founded in 1951, that manufactured dinnerware and decorative objects into an incubator for international artists and architects working on ambitious projects with ceramics in many forms. Among them are Pia Camil, Sarah Crowner, Jose Dávila, the Haas Brothers, Sarah Morris, Jorge Pardo, Eduardo Sarabia and Pae White. Cerámica Suro was the producer of the tiles in Chinati’s current special exhibition, a site-specific installation, Platform (Blue Green Terracotta for JC) (2022), by Sarah Crowner.
In 1993, Suro, trained as a lawyer, decided to devote himself to the family business full-time. At that point, Cerámica Suro transitioned from a family workshop to a creative venue. During the last three decades, Cerámica Suro has carried out projects that have put Guadalajara on the radar of the international art world. The studio has also continued to create bespoke dining pieces for fine restaurants, including Enrique Olvera’s Pujol in Mexico City, Manta in Cabo San Lucas, and Damian in Los Angeles.
Lee Baumann Cohn and Sam Hamilton, Chinati trustees since 2018 and 2012, shared their excitement in assuming the roles of chair and co-chair.
“It is an honor to follow Mack Fowler and Annabelle Selldorf as chair and co-chair of Chinati,” said Cohn and Hamilton. “We thank them for their many years of service and look forward to their continued stewardship as members of the board of trustees.”
