Allison Glenn Named Curator for the 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art

Image Credit: Grace Roselli. Courtesy Toronto Biennial of Art

4th Toronto Biennial of Art
Title TBD
September – December 2026
Toronto Biennial of Art

The Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA) has announced that Allison Glenn will curate the 2026 edition, which is set to take place from September to December 2026. Known for her site-specific, research-driven approach, Glenn’s curatorial vision is expected to bring new perspectives to the Biennial’s engagement with local and international artistic communities.

Allison, a New York-based curator and writer, was selected by TBA’s Curatorial Selection Committee. This committee included TBA 2024 Co-Curators Dominique Fontaine and Miguel A. López, Senior Curator of TBA 2019 and 2022 Candice Hopkins, along with Camille Usher, Léuli Eshrāghi, and Elvira Dyangani Ose.

Currently serving as Artistic Director of The Shepherd, an arts campus in Detroit’s cultural district, Allison has built a reputation for championing ambitious public art projects that foster accessibility and community engagement. TBA’s founder and Executive Director, Patrizia Libralato, emphasized her ability to develop transformative ideas with artists, particularly within public spaces, as key for her selection.

As Glenn notes, Toronto’s status as one of the most diverse cities in the world, combined with its location on the Great Lakes—home to 20% of the world’s freshwater—will shape her curatorial framework. Her close proximity to the region, having grown up in Detroit, gives her a unique perspective on the city’s cultural landscape.

“I am honored to be invited to consider a city so close to home and to learn from the vast histories of the region while working closely with the brilliant members of the National Curatorial Advisory, enthusiastic TBA team, and dedicated partners of the 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art,” Glenn stated.

A significant new development for the 2026 edition is the introduction of a National Curatorial Advisory. Comprising five curators from leading institutions across Canada, this advisory body will provide insight into diverse artistic practices within the region strengthening the Biennial’s commitment to shape an internationally recognized platform with strong ties to its local environment.

The advisory members include:

• David Diviney – Chief Curator, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
• Eva Respini – Deputy Director and Director of Curatorial Programs, Vancouver Art Gallery
• Heather Igloliorte – Canada Excellence Research Chair, Professor, University of Victoria
• Léuli Eshrāghi – Curator of Indigenous Practices, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
• Michelle Jacques – Director of Exhibitions and Collections/Chief Curator, Remai Modern

By partnering with organisations ranging from artist-run centers to major established institutions, the Biennial seeks to build lasting connections and assure a sustainable future for its partners and itself.

Allison Glenn is a New York-based curator and writer focusing on the intersection of art and public space through public art and special projects, biennials, and major new commissions by a wide range of contemporary artists. For over fifteen years, Glenn has been devoted to realizing ambitious and experimental exhibitions and site-specific projects with artists working across the globe. She gained broad acclaim for curating the pathbreaking 2021 exhibition Promise, Witness, Remembrance at Louisville, Kentucky’s Speed Art Museum. The exhibition reflected on the life of Breonna Taylor through the work of over twenty contemporary artists including Amy Sherald, Nari Ward, Bethany Collins, and Glenn Ligon. Glenn has held positions including Co-Curator of Counterpublic Triennial 2023; Visiting Curator, at The University of Tulsa, where she curated the Sovereign Futures convening; Senior Curator at New York’s Public Art Fund; and, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  In this role, Glenn shaped how outdoor sculpture activates and engages Crystal Bridges’ 120-acre campus through a series of new commissions, touring group exhibitions, and long-term loans by artists including Amanda Ross-Ho, Odili Donald Odita, George Sanchez-Calderon, and Rashid Johnson. She also held a curatorial position with New Orleans’ international art triennial Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp. Glenn has published widely, contributing essays to catalogs produced by The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Counterpublic Triennial, Prospect New Orleans, Studio Museum in Harlem, Princeton Architectural Press, Neubauer Collegium, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and periodicals including Artforum, ART PAPERS, Brooklyn Rail, Hyperallergic, and ART21 Magazine. Glenn sits on the Board of Directors for ARCAthens, an international curatorial and artist residency program. She received dual Master’s degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism as well as Arts Administration and Policy. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art Photography with a co-major in Urban Studies from Wayne State University in Detroit.

The 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art aims to build on its past successes while forging new curatorial pathways. Glenn’s appointment signals an exciting evolution for the Biennial, reinforcing its commitment to accessibility, site-specificity, and community-driven engagement.

For more details on the Toronto Biennial of Art, visit torontobiennial.org and follow #TOBiennial26 on social media.