Andria Hickey is a museum leader, contemporary art curator, and strategic advisor.

Andria Hickey is a curator, writer, and museum leader with over 15 years of experience directing major exhibitions and cultural programs at leading institutions. She has served in senior curatorial roles at The Shed, Pace Gallery, MOCA Cleveland, and Public Art Fund, while currently advising on select strategic initiatives in contemporary art and public engagement.

Andria’s curatorial practice is focused on cross-disciplinary experimentation, public art, and contemporary approaches to abstraction in the digital age. She is inspired by interdisciplinary programming that bridges art with broader cultural conversations. She has developed groundbreaking exhibitions, established new institutional programs, and led teams through periods of significant growth and innovation.

Most recently, Andria served as Head of Programs at Shorefast and Fogo Island Arts, directing the internationally renowned artist residency program and overseeing interdisciplinary initiatives connecting art, environmental stewardship, and community development. Prior to this, she was Chief Curator at The Shed in New York, where she led the visual arts program during a pivotal period, securing major international partnerships including a collaboration with Fondation Cartier that resulted in the acclaimed exhibition The Yanomami Struggle.

From 2018 to 2022, Andria served as Senior Director and Curator at Pace Gallery, where she established the gallery's first dedicated curatorial department and founded Pace Live, an innovative performing arts platform that became a model for commercial gallery programming. Her tenure included landmark exhibitions and publications with major artists such as Sam Gilliam, Agnes Martin, Jo Baer, Trevor Paglen, and Torkwase Dyson, while significantly expanding the gallery's international presence and curatorial influence.

As Senior Curator at MOCA Cleveland (2016-2018), Andria shaped the museum's vision as a locally rooted, globally connected institution. She pioneered community engagement through the For Freedoms Town Hall series—a two-year civic engagement residency that created a national model now adopted by museums across the country. She also established Toby's Prize, a $50,000 award supporting emerging artists, and developed innovative diversity-focused curatorial initiatives.

From 2011-2016, Andria served as Curator at Public Art Fund, where she organized major public art commissions throughout New York City, working with internationally acclaimed artists including Danh Vo, Hank Willis Thomas, Katharina Grosse, and others. She developed the influential Public Art Fund Talks lecture series and expanded the organization's thought leadership through strategic partnerships.

Prior to this, Andria was Curator at Art in General (2010-2012), where she directed the organization's exhibitions, residencies, and public programs, producing first New York solo exhibitions for several important artists including Kambui Olujimi and Brendan Fernandes.

Andria began her curatorial career as a fellow at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (2007-2010), where she contributed to major exhibitions including Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers and The Quick and the Dead, establishing early expertise in both historical and contemporary programming.

Born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland, Andria holds an MA in Art History from Concordia University, Montreal and a BA from Memorial University, Newfoundland. She is currently a board member of For Freedoms. In addition to her institutional and advisory work, she has collaborated with leading curatorial consulting practices and her writing has been published in numerous exhibition catalogues and art publications. She divides her time between Brooklyn, New York, and travels internationally for curatorial projects.