Speed Art Museum names Diallo Simon-Ponte assistant curator for its 2025 visiting artist program

The Speed Art Museum in Louisville has launched a new visiting artist initiative, The Sam Gilliam Visiting Art Program, and in the process has named Diallo Simon-Ponte assistant curator for the program, according to Louisville Public Media.

The museum introduced the initiative in 2025, tying the visiting artist program to the broader legacy of artist Sam Gilliam and establishing a formal role intended to support the museum’s selection, planning, and presentation of participating artists and related programming.

Diallo Simon-Ponte’s appointment as assistant curator places the individual in a key position within the museum’s curatorial staff for the visiting program, with responsibilities that the museum’s staffing structure typically includes, such as helping coordinate exhibitions and related interpretation for the public, Louisville Public Media reported.

The visiting artist format is designed to bring outside voices and new work to the museum’s audience, giving the Speed an ongoing mechanism to refresh its exhibitions and community-facing programming beyond its permanent and planned collection displays.

For Louisville residents and visitors, the museum’s announced program change indicates continued investment in arts programming, with the visiting artist initiative serving as a structured platform for showcasing work tied to Sam Gilliam’s artistic influence while adding new curatorial perspective through a dedicated staff role.

The Speed Art Museum is expected to continue developing the visiting program over time, with the appointment providing a named point of responsibility for curatorial work tied to the initiative that began in 2025, the report indicated.