Curator • Cultural Strategist• Art Advisor

About Karen Comer Lowe

Karen Comer Lowe is an award winning curator, art advisor, and arts advocate with over 25 years of experience in museums, galleries, and cultural institutions. Her work centers on 20th-and 21st-century art by artists of the Black diaspora, with a particular commitment to those connected to the American South.

Karen's multidisciplinary practice includes curating, advising, and teaching. She has worked with and championed the work of significant artists such as Ming Smith, Hank Willis Thomas, Rashid Johnson, Radcliffe Bailey, Frank Bowling, Mildred Thompson, and Elizabeth Catlett. She has lectured widely on contemporary art, collecting practices, and art movements throughout the United States.

She is a dedicated educator, having taught Art History and Curatorial Studies at Spelman College through the AUC Art Collective, and currently teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana. In 2022, she co-curated the Bridgemaker Prize award winning exhibition, "Silver Linings," showcasing historically important works from the Spelman College Museum's permanent collection. This exhibition toured to five museums across the United States. In 2025, she presented the first comprehensive exhibition of MacArthur Award-winning artist Amanda Williams, titled "We Say What Black This Is," underscoring her commitment to elevating Black art and culture. She is currently curating New South: Ground Truth, an upcoming group exhibition at MOCA Arlington.

Karen's impact has been recognized in national publications including Artsy, The Observer, Elephant, Vanity Fair, and Essence, and most recently, she was named one of 10 people shaping the art world by Art Cube (2026). She has also played a vital role in expanding curatorial discourse through global platforms, including her participation in the Curatorial Summit at The Armory Show (2024, 2025) and Independent Curators International (ICI) at Expo Chicago (2025). As the first Guest Curator of the inaugural Atlanta Art Fair, she brought a regionally focused yet globally engaged vision to the fair's curatorial framework.

She has led student cohorts from the AUC Art Collective through major international art fairs—such as Frieze London and ZⓈONAMACO in Mexico City—offering direct exposure to the global arts ecosystem.

With over fifteen years of art advisory experience, Karen has worked on major acquisitions from leading galleries and international auction houses. Her curatorial and advisory practice remains deeply committed to amplifying Black contemporary artists and fostering inclusive, market-conscious strategies that uplift historically underrepresented voices. Most recently, she founded Red Clay Art Circle, a new initiative building a community-driven, Black-led art collecting circle based in Atlanta..

Art Advisory

Tailored advising for private collectors, corporate entities, hospitality groups, and public institutions—helping to build meaningful and strategic art collections.

• Institutional Strategy & Curation
  Curatorial development and cultural strategy for museums, galleries, and arts organizations—shaping exhibitions, programs, and collection-building initiatives.

• Speaking & Moderation
  Available for panels, keynotes, and public conversations—bringing insight, context, and dynamic engagement to topics across the art world.

• Advisory for Artists & Collectors
  Consultation services for artists and collectors, including art market insights, collection development, exhibition preparation, and curatorial support.

• Media Commentary
  Available for radio, television, and digital media as a trusted voice on contemporary art, artists, collecting practices, and cultural movements.