The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University has promoted two longtime staff members to leadership roles designed to strengthen the museum’s exhibitions and programming.

Amber Esseiva has been promoted to Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, and Nebiat Gereme has been named Director of Exhibitions and Program Alignment, a newly created position. Together, they will oversee the planning and coordination of the ICA’s artistic programming and public engagement efforts. 

Esseiva, who had served as acting senior curator since 2024, joined the ICA in 2016 as a curatorial assistant. Over the past nine years, she has helped organize more than 19 exhibitions, including “Dear Mazie” (2024), the first contemporary art show dedicated to the life and work of Amaza Lee Meredith. That exhibition is now on view at the California African American Museum. 

Her other projects include “Great Force” (2019), which examined race and representation, and the ICA’s presentation of Julien Creuzet’s reimagined French Pavilion from the 60th Venice Biennale. Esseiva also established the ICA’s guest curator program. 

Gereme joined the ICA in 2019 and has served as head of exhibitions since 2021. She has overseen 23 exhibition projects, including artist commissions and the VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition. In her new role, she will manage fiscal planning for exhibitions, publications and programs. 

“These promotions are a testament to the dedication, excellence and collaborative spirit of two remarkable colleagues,” ICA Executive Director Jessica Bell Brown said in a statement.