SAN DIEGO, CA.- Dr. Hugh M. Davies, The David C. Copley Director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, announced that Jill Dawsey has been appointed the new Associate Curator.

Dawsey has held curatorial posts at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and, most recently, at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. She began work at MCASD Dec. 5.

"Jill Dawsey has the eye and intellect to identify today's most compelling artists and contextualize them within the history of art and the particularities of place," said MCASD's Chief Curator Kathryn Kanjo. "She is warm, engaging, and curious--qualities that will be felt on staff and in the community. We are delighted to welcome home this talented San Diegan."

In Dawsey's new position she will coordinate and originate exhibitions, as well as help to build and refine the Museum's collection, currently comprised of more than 4,000 works.

In her recent position at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Dawsey established salt, an on-going series of exhibitions to help bring emerging international artists to the community. Previous salt program participants include Mexico City-based Adriana Lara, Brussels-based Sophie Whettnall, and Berlin-based Cyprien Gaillard. Earlier this fall salt 4 featured New York and Paris-based photographer and sculptor Xaviera Simmons.

She recently curated The Smithson Effect, a well-received group show examining the far-reaching impact of artist Robert Smithson on a generation of artists working since the 1990s. Smithson is best known for his monumental earthwork, Spiral Jetty (1970), located in Utah's Great Salt Lake.

"It is a great pleasure to return to my hometown and a privilege to join this exceptional institution, which played a crucial role in my artistic education," said Dawsey. "Visits to MCASD--and exposure to their bold artist commissions and rich permanent collection--first ignited my interest in contemporary art."

Before joining the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Dawsey served as assistant curator in painting and sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She has organized one-person exhibitions by artists such as Edgar Arceneaux, Phil Collins, and Rachel Harrison, as well as coordinating presentations of permanent collection holdings.

Dawsey is a San Diego native and received her Ph.D. in Art History from Stanford University. She holds a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.