Museum Names First Director of Public Programs & Partnerships: Suhaly Bautista‑Carolina
The American LGBTQ+ Museum Names Community Organizer and Arts Educator Suhaly Bautista-Carolina as its First Director of Public Programs
The American LGBTQ+ Museum Names Community Organizer and Arts Educator Suhaly Bautista‑Carolina as its First Director of Public Programs
Suhaly Bautista-Carolina will cultivate partnerships and oversee programming as the museum expands its offerings in anticipation of a 2026 opening at the New-York Historical Society
NEW YORK, NY — Monday, March 13, 2023 — The American LGBTQ+ Museum has announced the appointment of Suhaly Bautista-Carolina as its new Director of Public Programs & Partnerships. Suhaly (she/they) brings a wealth of experience to the role of Director of Public Programs & Partnerships — the museum’s first — and will lead development of a unifying vision for the institution’s programming and partnership efforts. They have an established reputation in the cultural sector for working with artists and centering community voices. Suhaly will grow the museum on the national stage while ensuring it stays connected to local communities as a valuable resource.
Ben Garcia (he/him), the museum’s Executive Director, said: “I could not be happier to have Suhaly as a partner in this work. They bring deep experience, kindness, and creativity to our vision for a museum rooted in LGBTQ+ liberation. And a sprinkling of Queer magic as well.”
“I am thrilled to join the incredible team at the American LGBTQ+ Museum, and to contribute to the vision and mission of what will undeniably be a space of learning, joy, liberation, transformation, and community. Together, we will co-create a Museum where public programs and partnerships are an authentic reflection of our core principles.” – Suhaly Bautista-Carolina
Prior to joining the museum, Suhaly was Senior Managing Educator of Audience Development and Engagement at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they were a steward of the Civic Practice Partnership Artist residency program. They organized the Afrofuturist Teen Council in collaboration with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and played an integral role in realizing MetFest, the Museum’s inaugural block party celebration. Prior to the Met, Suhaly held roles at Creative Time, Brooklyn Museum, and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI).
In 2021, Suhaly was named a Women in Power Fellow with the 92Y Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact, and is a member of the inaugural class of NY Foundation for the Arts’ Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color. She is a board member of Weeksville Heritage Center and ArtTable, serves on the advisory board for MoreArt+, and is the co-chair for The Laundromat Project’s Catalyst Circle.
Suhaly’s appointment comes at a vital time for the museum, which has been rapidly expanding its public programming offerings in partnership with the New-York Historical Society and other organizations across the city. In 2026, the Museum will open its inaugural physical location on one floor of the Society’s planned addition on West 76th Street.
A native New Yorker, Suhaly has presented at conferences around the world including MuseumNext, ArtPrize, NYC Museum Educators Roundtable, Open Engagement, and Culture Push. They curated exhibitions and public programs in collaboration with Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership, Art Connects New York (ACNY) and others. They were one of 50 art world leaders profiled in Jasmin Hernandez’ 2021 book, “We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World.”