Jessica Gaynelle Moss is an arts consultant, curator, and artist advocate. Her creative vision transcends traditional art boundaries, merging fine art with real estate development, philanthropy and institution-building, all underpinned by a deep commitment to artists.

 

In addition to her role as director of The Roll Up CLT, a neighborhood embedded artist residency program she founded in 2016, Jessica's career has included leadership roles at The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Art + Culture, New Gallery of Modern Art, The Hyde Park Art Center, and The National Portrait Gallery. She has also collaborated with notable artists, contributing to social practice, public art and community engaged projects like Theaster Gates' Black Artist Retreat, Mel Chin's Fundred Dollar Bill Project, and she currently serves as the administrative director of  Alisha B Wormsley's Sibyls Shrine, an artist residency and network of 100+ Black artists who have m/othering practices.

As the founder of her own curatorial and arts consultancy, Jessica has cultivated a client portfolio including institutions like The NAACP, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Joan Mitchell Center, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation, among others. As a philanthropic advisor, Jessica has partnered with The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Grantmakers in the Arts and the Office for Public Art to help make better investments in our artists communities by reimagining grant making as a bridge for artists towards access and advancement.

 

In 2023, Jessica was awarded the prestigious 40 Under 40 award in two US cities -- Charlotte and Pittsburgh -- recognizing her dedication towards advancing equity within the arts beyond borders. She has been honored by Forecast Public Art as a 'Leading Voice in Public Art' (21), SCOOP Magazine as 'Charlotte Women to Watch' (19), and the YWCA as a 'Woman of Achievement' (19). Jessica's impactful works and contributions have been acknowledged with grant awards and honors from distinguished foundations including The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Heinz Endowment and The Ford Foundation.

 

An unwavering advocate for artists, Jessica frequently shares her wisdom on artist support, advocacy, and stewardship during panels and conferences. She actively engages with the arts community by facilitating exhibitions, workshops, studio visits, critiques and serving on the leadership boards of various cultural entities. Her contributions to the cultural landscape have garnered recognition in national publications including Black Art in America, The Root, and Bloomberg News, to name a few.

Jessica received a bachelors in Fine Art from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009; a masters in Arts Administration, Policy and Management from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015; and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2018.