HOUSTON, TX.- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and its Glassell School of Art today announced the appointment of Margo Handwerker as director of the Glassell School of Art, following her interim role in this capacity after the departure of previous director Paul Coffey earlier this year.
Dr. Handwerker has headed the Glassell School’s Core program, its acclaimed residency for artists and critics, since 2024. In her new leadership role, she will direct the three divisions of the Glassell School – its Junior School for pre-K to grade 12 students, Studio School for adults and Core residency program for emerging professional artists—which, together, support nearly 9,000 enrollments and produce about 20 exhibitions each year.
Commented Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, “Dr. Handwerker has impressed all of us with her expert stewardship of the Core residency program and her successful interim leadership of the Glassell School. As an artist, curator and arts administrator, she possesses the perfect combination of professional experience, as well as a singular commitment to the mission of the school, its students, and the community it serves.”
Dr. Handwerker commented, “I am honored to step into this role, to build on the Glassell School of Art's strong history of impact across generations of artists of every age and every stage of their creative lives—from first-time learners to established professionals. Its exceptional faculty, public lectures and Core residency program connect the curriculum and pedagogy to national and international conversations about contemporary art while remaining deeply rooted in Houston’s own creative ecosystem. In partnership with the museum, the school is not only a place where students learn from the museum's collections and resources, but also where experimentation and new ideas can germinate and, in turn, enrich the museum itself.”
Dr. Handwerker earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in Architectural History and Theory; a Master’s from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Art History, Theory and Criticism; and a BA from Indiana University, Bloomington, in Art History. Since joining the Glassell School of Art in 2024 as Dean of the Core Residency Program, Dr. Handwerker has strengthened the nationally recognized residency by modifying it as a two-year program with increased financial support for fellows, establishing the Core Alumni Fellowship, and growing philanthropic support for the program. In that time, she has also overseen the Glassell School's exhibitions program.
Previously, Dr. Handwerker served as curator and director of the Texas State Galleries at Texas State University, where she curated more than 25 exhibitions and developed interdisciplinary collaborations across the university and the San Marcos community. Dr. Handwerker is also an artist and curator, since 2011, with M12 Studio, a collective whose projects explore public space, rural cultures, and landscapes and have been featured internationally in publications and exhibitions, including SITE Santa Fe and the 13th Venice Biennale of Architecture. From 2011 to 2016, she was a lecturer in Critical Studies, Architecture, and Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition, she has contributed over the past two decades to an extensive roster of publications on the subject of embedded artist practices, the subject of her 2018 dissertation thesis. Her ties to Houston extend back to 2005, when she was a curatorial assistant in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's department of modern and contemporary art and prints and drawings, and a lecturer at the Glassell School of Art. During her early years in Houston, Dr. Handwerker was a contributor to Glasstire, Artlies, and Gulf Coast, and chaired the Lawndale Art Center’s Artist Advisory Board.
