We are pleased to announce Kunstraum’s new CCA Jesse Bandler Firestone.

Firestone is a curator, producer, and writer dedicated to supporting artists across a wide range of disciplines. With over seven years of experience, he has held curatorial roles at Montclair State University, Wave Hill, and The Shed, focusing on conceptual art, emerging artists, social practice, and institutional critique.

At Montclair State University, Firestone organized exhibitions and programs that connected contemporary artists with students and faculty, emphasizing experimental and interdisciplinary approaches. At Wave Hill, he commissioned projects responding to the site’s intersection of art, nature, and social history. At The Shed, he managed large-scale commissions and live events, collaborating with artists to address pressing cultural and political issues within a civic institution.

His curatorial practice prioritizes process-driven, socially engaged work that bridges institutions and communities. He is committed to expanding access to the arts and highlighting LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and disabled artists while using art as a critical discourse and civic engagement. Until June he is curating Residency Unlimited’s New York Based Artist Residency. 

Firestone has contributed writing to Sculpture Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Document Journal, Slate, and Baron Books. Through his curatorial work, he creates spaces where artists and audiences can come together to examine power structures, reimagine histories, and explore new possibilities for artistic and social transformation.

The CCA assumes a key leadership role in directing our artist-run gallery’s programming and focuses on facilitating events to engage our community while also encouraging invited curators, artists, and other guests to collaborate, think critically, and take risks in their practices.

Please join us in welcoming Jesse to the KUNSTRAUM team, we look forward to supporting his work and further developing his curatorial vision!