Helen Trompeteler is a curator and writer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has eighteen years museum and gallery experience and is a specialist in photography and lens-based arts. Her practice is centered on broadening access to collections and telling new narratives about underrepresented histories. Past curatorial projects include Prince Albert: His Life and Legacy (2017-20), Josef Breitenbach Research Fellowship at the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona (2016), Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon (2015), Snowdon: A Life in View (2014), and Man Ray Portraits (2013).
Helen’s writing has been published internationally in artist monographs, exhibition catalogues, books and arts magazines. She has lectured for organizations including Central Saint Martins, Institute for Historical Research, National Portrait Gallery London, Regent’s University London, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Helen is a committed advocate for the civic role of archives and special collections to encourage dialogue, facilitate cultural exchange and inspire positive social change. She is a board member of Four Corners, a learning, production and exhibition centre for film and photography. From 2018-2019, Helen was part of the Museums Association Transformers Program, a leadership program addressing the civic role of museums in contemporary society.
Photograph: Marion Post Wolcott, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1941. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-057833-D]