Chicago-based curator, arts administrator, and academic.

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Jefferson Godard is a contemporary curator, gallery director, experienced educator, trained architect, and arts leader with 15+ years of experience curating exhibitions, directing galleries, and managing public-facing art programs in North America and Europe. Godard has proven success in artist development, fundraising, program strategy, and cultural diplomacy and is adept in building inclusive arts communities and dynamic, cross-institutional partnerships.

He was previously the Gallery Manager for ShiftSpace at Wichita State University.  As the Curator at the Salina Art Center, he curated an exhibition featuring Sanford Biggers and Karen Reimer (February 9 - April 24, 2022) alongside local Mountain Plains artists. From 2012 to 2021, Godard served as the Founder and Director of Aspect/Ratio, a contemporary art gallery specializing in video and performance-based themes in Chicago.  The program was known for its strong conceptual focus and produced numerous critically acclaimed solo exhibitions featuring artists such as Guy Ben-Ner, Hương Ngô, Kambui Olujimi, Sabina Ott, and Derrick Woods-Morrow, as well as group exhibitions with Albert Oehlen, Laura Owens, and Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez, among others. Aspect/Ratio also participated in Untitled Miami, EXPO Chicago, and Moving Image art fair. 

As an independent curator, Godard has curated video art-based exhibitions and screenings at various venues, including the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Nice and Fit Gallery in Berlin, and Shane Campbell Gallery in Chicago. Following his training at the Dessau Institute of Architecture at the Bauhaus, Godard worked on an award-winning urban park competition in Munich, Germany, along with several high-rise residential projects in his hometown of Miami, FL. In addition to his curatorial and gallery endeavors, Godard has spoken at venues such as the MCA Chicago, Northwestern University, the Chicago Artists Coalition, and Art Cologne and chaired a panel discussion at the College Arts Association Conference.

2025
“Complexity, Contradiction, and Contemplation: A Review of Dave Lloyd at Regards,” NewCity, June 2 

2022

“2022 Salina Biennial - Contemporary Art from the Mountain Plains Region,” Salina Art Center, Salina, KS, Catalogue, May 25 

“Ann Resnick’s Wichita Trifecta,” Salina Art Center, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, KS, May 4 

“The Map vs. The Walk,” Salina Art Center, Salina, KS, Catalogue, April 1
2021 

“Momentos: Paths That Cross,” Material Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, Catalogue, November 5 

“Contemporary Textile,” Salina Art Center, Salina, KS, Catalogue, August 11
2017

“Graft (II) Edra Soto,” Cuchifritos Gallery, New York, NY, Green Lantern Publication, February 10 

2013 

“Tricksters,” C33 Gallery, Chicago, IL, Catalogue, January 28 

“Graft (II) Edra Soto,” Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL, Catalogue, August 10
“Performative Acts in Video and Film: Contrasting the Forty-Year History with Current Themes that Are Prevalent in Emerging Artists,” College Arts Association, New York, NY, February 16 

2011 

“Overkill,” The Mission Gallery, Chicago, IL, Catalogue, September 9 

2024 

Monique Bever, “Makes me work even harder,” The Sunflower, March 24        

2023 

Esme Benjamin, “Must-Visit Galleries in Chicago, Illinois for Art Lovers,” Culture Trip, January 17 

2021 

Alice Thorson, “Contemporary Textile at Salina Art Center,” KC Studio, September 8 

Editor, “Salina Art Center announces hiring of new curator,” Salina Post, April 28 

Ray Pride, “Kansas Gets Jefferson Godard,” New City, April 28
Alicia Eler, “Bringing Minnesota art to Chicago,” Star Tribune, January 8 

2019 

Darren Jones, “Art in America: The Critical Dustbowl,” New Art Examiner, May 5
2018 

KT Hawbaker, “In Aspect/Ratio’s ‘Gold,’ artists reclaim the precious metal,” Chicago Tribune, July 20 

Franck Mercurio, “A New Westward Migration,” Chicago Gallery News, April 23
2017 

Bad at Sports, “Top V Weekend Picks: You Will Not See Me,” The Visualist, September 14 

Elliot Reichert, “Art 50: Chicago’s Visual Vanguard,” New City, August 31
Tim Marklew, “The Best Independent Art Galleries in Chicago,” Culture Trip, April 29 

Laura Davis, “Edra Soto & Danny Giles at Sector 2337,” Bad at Sports, February 20 

2016

Katy Donoghue, “Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson,” Whitewall, December 6
Franck Mercurio, “Local Artists Create Immersive Environments at EXPO Chicago,” Chicago Gallery News, September 23 

2015 

Zeenat Nagree, “Golden Gates,” Artforum, September 24
Elliot Reichert, “Art 50: Chicago’s Visual Vanguard,” New City, September 17
Natalie Hegert, “Why this week is THE time to be in Chicago” Huffington Post, September 17

Jessi Virtusio, “Moraine Valley art gallery celebrates works from the community” Chicago Tribune, June 15 

2014 

Virginia Van Alyea, Chicago Gallery News, “News: Anniversaries, Moves, and Welcomes,” September 10 

Vincent Uribe, Spotlight Interview, LVL3 Media, April 14 

Mia Ruyter, Chuck Thurow, “Why Marriage?,” Carceral Notebooks, February 22 

Nate Storey, “T&L Definitive Guide to Chicago,” Travel + Leisure, February 1

Jessica Cochran, “Video Visionary,” CS Interiors, January 20 

2013 

Editorial, “Around Town: Gallery Weekend Chicago,” Chicago Sun Times/Splash, September 13 

Chicago Magazine, “2013 Best of Chicago- Best New Art Gallery,” Chicago Magazine, August 1 

Alicia Eler, “Mirrors Multiply the Selfie: The Doppelgänger Dilemma,” Hyperallergic, July 8
Philip Hartigan, “Magic Realism,” Hyperallergic, March 14 

Jason Foumberg, “The C Notes Power List: Art’s Hit Makers,” Chicago Magazine, February 20 

Kyle Rich, “Photo students, Chicago curator collaborate to make space,” Columbia Chronicle, February 1 

2012 

Eva Saha, 190 North on ABC 7 Chicago, November 11 

Jason Judd, “Studio Visit: Casilda Sánchez,” Make Space, November 4
Philip Hartigan, “Aspect Ratio Debuts with a Gilad Ratman video,” Time Out Chicago, October 11 

Jason Foumberg, “Art Break: Chicago Art News Bites,” New City, September 18
Paddy Johnson, “The Snail Survives,” Art F City, March 11 

2011 

Lauren Pearson, “‘Overkill’ at the Mission,” Time Out Chicago, October 21 Michael Workman, “True Stories,” Artinfo, September 29 

Gretchen Holmes, “Eye Exams: Personal Spaces,” New City Art Chicago, September 20 

Lauren Weinberg, “threewalls expands the CSA model to art,” TimeOut, April 19 2010 

Claudine Ise, “Performance Anxiety,” Bad at Sports, December 2 

Ginny Berg, “Performance Anxiety,” Chicago Gallery News, April 5 

Editorial, “Moving Image Contemporary Video Art Fair,” Twi-NY, March 10

2009 

Pedro Vélez, “Open Gates,” Artnet, December 4 

Brook Mason, “Chicago (and the) city’s art collections...,” The Art Newspaper, April 30
Ana Finel Honigman, “Thank you for being a Friend of the Arts,” ArtSlant Berlin, February 2 

Alix Rule, “Our Great Show,” Saatchi Online Magazine, January 24 

2008 

Mark Guarino, “With videos, high art meets high-tech,” Christian Science Monitor, October 30 

Alicia Eler, “Collector Convos,” Chicago Gallery News, April 1 

Alicia Eler, “Selected Videos,” Time Out Chicago, February 7
Jason Foumberg, “Screen Scene,” New City Art Chicago, January 17