Like many influencers who have created major followings on social media, Kimberly Drew — a.k.a. “Museum Mammy”— has leaned into the platforms to advocate for inclusivity and diversity in the art world, and her journey has not only led to hundreds of thousands of followers but a place to share her voice.
“My career has taken a bunch of different forms. I would say that for me, my entrepreneurship really kicked off when I was still an undergraduate,” Drew tells GRAZIA USA. “In 2012, I started an art blog called Black Contemporary Art that I used to amplify the voices and stories of Black artists.”
From that first foray into the world of Tumblr — which Drew started while pursuing a double major in art history and Africana studies at Smith College — she was able to penetrate the art world.
“It gave me the opportunity to begin to engage with the art world in an unconventional way,” Drew shares. “I’m very thankful for that industrious time in my career because I was working in a field that is super exclusive. Before I realized how exclusive it was, I was able to use social media and digital technology in a way that kept me shielded from traditional noise in my field.”
Drew’s career evolution began there, she recalls. “I went from blogging independently to then working in institutions,” she explains. “I worked for organizations including Creative Time and the Studio Museum in Harlem.”
Drew gained widespread recognition for her work as a writer, curator, and social media influencer. She served as the social media manager for The Metropolitan Museum of Art where she helped to reinvent and diversify the 154-year-old cultural institution. Drew is currently a director of the curatorial team at Pace Gallery, where she brings her unique perspective and expertise to the forefront of the gallery’s initiatives.
Drew cites Cameroon-born curator Koyo Kouoh and Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, as major sources of inspiration. “Thelma is one of the most important women in American art and global art conversations, how she guided so many of us into being the full breadth of who we are,” she says.
While Drew maintains a nonstop schedule — when we connected, she was in Venice at the Biennale and off to London to connect with artists and creatives — the experiences only fuel her passion and drive.
“I’m constantly taking on new things and finding inspiration,” she explains. “I really try to remain agile and free flowing when I’m moving around.”
As an integral part of Pace Gallery, Drew contributes to shaping the future of contemporary art, fostering a more inclusive and equitable cultural landscape for generations to come.
“I will be opening an exhibition in collaboration with the Gordon Parks Foundation at Pace Gallery, where I work full-time,” Drew shares. “The exhibition will be opening on July 11, and I cannot wait. I hope my journey takes me to the next city, the next art community, the next opportunity to learn, the next lunch reservation, the next dance party. I’m very open and feel very oddly optimistic.”
