BUFFALO, NY.- Heather Pesanti, currently assistant curator of contemporary art at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, has been appointed Curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery effective October 2008.

Pesanti has been in Pittsburgh since 2005, where she worked on Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International. At the Carnegie Museum of Art she organized Forum 58: Jonathan Borofsky-Human Structures and Forum 60: Rivane Neuenschwander. She has also been actively involved with Pittsburgh's art community, visiting scores of artist studios and organizing several exhibitions outside of the museum including Out of This Furnace, opening this weekend at Unsmoke Systems, Braddock, Pennsylvania, and the most recent “Gestures” show at the Mattress Factory, Illustrations of Catastrophe and Remote Times.

“I’m thrilled to have Heather join the curatorial department,” said Albright-Knox Chief Curator Douglas Dreishpoon. “In a relatively short period of time, she has tackled substantive projects, which have garnered her an impressive reputation in the field. She is a great addition.”

As Curator, Pesanti will organize focused exhibitions from the Gallery's outstanding collection of modern and contemporary art and will initiate and produce special exhibitions based on current trends in contemporary art. She will also bring her expertise to tracking and recommending acquisitions for the permanent collection.

“Heather has been an integral part of the contemporary art department team and was instrumental in the organization of Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International,” says Carnegie Curator Douglas Fogle. “While we are sorry to see her go, we are all delighted that she will be able to bring her many talents to one of our close partners, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. We look forward to working with her in the future.”

Prior to working at Carnegie Museum of Art, Heather Pesanti was the Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois, where she curated the June 2005 installment and co-curated the May 2005 installment of the museum’s emerging artist series 12x12: New Artists/New Work. Pesanti has a Masters in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, specializing in Modern/Contemporary art. She also has a Master of Studies in Ethnology and Museum Ethnography from the University of Oxford, Oxford, England.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is recognized as one of the world’s leading collections of modern and contemporary art. With more than 6,500 works in its collection and a dynamic series of exhibitions and public programs, the AKAG continues to grow and fulfill its mission to acquire, exhibit, and preserve modern and contemporary art in an enriching, dynamic, and vibrant environment.

Hours: Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors and students; free, children 13 and under. On Fridays from 3 to 10 p.m., “Gusto at the Gallery,” features a variety of free programs for visitors of all ages. For additional information see www.albrightknox.org.