The Hip Hop Museum Appoints Indira A. Abiskaroon Valbuena as Creative Director and Director of Curatorial Affairs
Indira Abiskaroon Valbuena. Photo credit: Leo Ng
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, February 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Hip Hop Museum (THHM) announced the appointment of Indira A. Abiskaroon Valbuena as Creative Director and Director of Curatorial Affairs. Abiskaroon Valbuena joined THHM's executive leadership team on January 5, 2026. In her role, she provides artistic direction across collections and exhibitions, leading the Museum’s curatorial strategy as it prepares for its forthcoming opening.
"Indira brings exceptional curatorial vision, deep institutional experience, and an authentic understanding of Hip Hop's cultural significance—she is exactly the creative leader we need to ensure our exhibitions honor the brilliance and complexity of this culture as we approach our historic opening," said Rocky Bucano, The Hip Hop Museum's Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
“It is a profound honor to join The Hip Hop Museum in this pivotal moment,” said Abiskaroon Valbuena. “As a lifelong New Yorker and child of Jamaica, Queens, I have witnessed firsthand the depth of meaning Hip Hop holds for this city and the world. I am grateful for the singular opportunity to help build a program that honors the ingenuity of the culture in all its nuance alongside the very practitioners who were there when it all started.”
Abiskaroon Valbuena joins THHM from the Brooklyn Museum, where she served as Curatorial Assistant of Modern and Contemporary Art. During her tenure, she co-curated the exhibitions Spike Lee: Creative Sources (2023–24), Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys (2024), and Melissa Joseph: Tender (2025), while supporting presentations on Jimmy DeSana, Red Grooms and Mimi Gross, Guadalupe Maravilla, Christian Marclay, Thierry Mugler, and Oscar yi Hou, among other projects.
Prior to her time at the Brooklyn Museum, Abiskaroon Valbuena worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, with early career positions at Christie's and Sotheby's. Her independent portfolio includes writing on Theresa Hak Kyung Cha for Evergreen Review and curation of the widely praised SPRING/BREAK Art Show presentation Border Play, spotlighting work by Aiza Ahmed.
Abiskaroon Valbuena holds an MA in the History of Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University and a BA in Art History and Classics from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College.
About The Hip Hop Museum: The Hip Hop Museum will include a dynamic blend of traditional exhibits and immersive experiences, including rare artifacts, memorabilia, visual arts, interactive stations, digital installations, live performances and community engagement. These elements will allow visitors of all ages to engage deeply with Hip Hop’s history and its ongoing influence on modern life. The expansive 55,000 square foot environment will reflect Hip Hop’s kinetic energy, ensuring the experience feels as vibrant, dynamic and communal as the culture itself. The opening of The Hip Hop Museum marks a historic occasion in the celebration and preservation of Hip Hop culture.
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Bryna Jean-Marie
Chief Communications Officer
Bryna@thhm.org
Bryna Jean-Marie
The Hip Hop Museum
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