Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

From monumentally scaled artworks and complex installation planning to the final gallery presentation, our curatorial team shares how exactly they brought Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys to MCASD. Organized by the Brooklyn Museum and making its West Coast debut at MCASD, Giants features works by nearly 40 Black diasporic artists whose practices explore Black joy, resistance, identity, and dialogue.

In this month’s Stories Behind the Art, MCASD speaks with Associate Curator, Amy Crum, Exhibitions & Curatorial Manager, Annie Hruska, and Collections & Exhibitions Chief Preparator, Jeremy Woodall, about bringing the exhibition to San Diego. 

Read on for insight into what visitors may not immediately see—from the logistics of presenting the exhibition to the conversations and connections that made Giants possible at MCASD. 

We asked Associate Curator Amy Crum: How do you approach a traveling exhibition, such as Giants, and make it feel specific to our institution?

AC: When we consider traveling shows, the big question is always how to connect the themes, ideas, and artists to our region. I think about what kinds of artworks will resonate most with our audiences or what artists might have connections to San Diego/Southern California. In the case of Giants, which originated in Brooklyn, we wanted to think about what makes our location distinct. As a result, we chose to highlight recreation and leisure as ways that people connect and relate to San Diego. 

We asked Exhibitions & Curatorial Manager, Annie Hruska: What are the key logistical considerations when planning an exhibition of this scale?

AH: There are many things to consider when planning an exhibition. Among them: establishing the budget and managing expenses, managing the project timelines for didactics and installation, creating the exhibition design and layout, [and] coordinating communications of these projects with the organizing venue as well as internal departments.

What’s one logistical detail that people would be surprised plays a big role? 

AH: Exhibitions are planned years in advance. Once on view, we are already in the process of opening the next!

 

We asked Collections & Exhibitions Chief Preparator, Jeremy Woodall: What is it like working with and installing works at such a large scale?

JW: Installing artworks at such a large scale requires careful planning and coordination with many key individuals at MCASD. A real team effort goes into the process from curators, exhibitions managers, traveling couriers, registrars, and preparators (art handlers and installation teams) to contractors and vendors for display elements.

We tackle everything from the artwork display and colorful wall backdrops to lighting and the atmosphere of a special exhibition soundtrack heard throughout the galleries, all working together to create an exhibition that is truly giant in scale and content. 

It’s deeply satisfying to put this amazing collection of artists together in a thematic and cohesive arrangement for all to enjoy. Here’s to a great (Giant) show, and many more…

Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys is on view at MCASD through August 9, 2026.