Halima Taha

Halima Taha is an esteemed arts professional, recognized for her expertise in Black visual cultural production, strategic planning, curatorial excellence, and transformative leadership. Her pioneering scholarship and steadfast commitment to elevating African American and diasporic artists have distinguished her career. As Artistic Director of Hammonds House Museum, Taha has profoundly expanded the institution’s vision and reach. She reimagined the museum’s campus by conceptualizing and realizing its first permanent installation—the John Rhoden Sculpture Garden, a groundbreaking addition donated by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. This landmark project demonstrates her curatorial vision and strategic approach, significantly broadening the museum’s artistic footprint and deepening its community connections.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and New York University, Taha brings multifaceted expertise spanning Black visual cultural production, curatorial leadership, arts management, strategic planning, art advisory, appraisal, and market development. At the innovative Onyx Art Gallery in Gramercy Park, New York City, where she was co-owner early in her career, Taha championed abstract art by African American artists, reshaping perceptions and opening commercial doors in a historically exclusive art world. Taha’s influence was further solidified through her best-selling book, Collecting African American Art: Works on Paper and Canvas. Hailed as a foundational text, it was the first to position the works of American artists of African descent as both culturally vital and financially valuable. By demystifying the collecting process and offering accessible guidance, her scholarship empowered new generations of collectors and tripled PBS fundraising goals, underscoring the book’s broad impact and popular appeal.

Taha’s trailblazing marketplace vision extended to strategic initiatives: in collaboration with New York’s groundbreaking National Black Fine Art Show, she was instrumental in educating and solidifying the market for Swann Galleries to establish the first international auction category dedicated to African American art. Her curatorial and strategic planning expertise helped inspire major museums nationwide to acquire and exhibit works by Black artists, setting a precedent for addressing historic and aesthetic gaps in American and global collections.

Her recent achievements further reflect her curatorial leadership and strategic direction. Taha conceptualized and leads the Kamoinge Digital Archive—a Mellon Foundation-supported initiative preserving and sharing the legacy of America’s oldest Black photographer collective, in partnership with the David C. Driskell Center. As a content consultant for the Getty Research Institute’s Oral History Project with UC Berkeley, she safeguards the stories and creative legacies of contemporary artists for future generations. Her board service includes the Clara Elizabeth Jackson Carter Foundation and the Brandywine Workshop and Archive, and she advises organizations such as Calabar Artist Residences at Colab Arts, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, and the Ntozake Shange Trust. Across all her roles, Taha remains deeply committed to cultivating opportunities for Black artists and advancing cultural equity.

Her singular and complementary experiences in Black visual cultural production, curatorial practice, arts management, and strategic planning anchor Taha’s dynamic leadership at Hammonds House Museum. Through innovative curatorial projects and visionary institutional strategies, she honors the past, energizes the present, and secures a vibrant future for Black visual culture. With every initiative, Taha positions the museum as a vital resource and beacon for artists, audiences, and the cultural field at large—cementing its reputation as a leader in the preservation and celebration of Black visual art and heritage.