
Marissa Del Toro is a curator and art historian of the modern and contemporary art of Latin American, Latinx, and US artists. Her practice explores the histories and realities of colonialism and the ideologies of normative and oppressive power structures. At the core of her work is recognizing the need to promote—and advocate for—the range of diverse narratives in the arts. Since 2021, Marissa has worked at Museums Moving Forward, a data-driven initiative committed to supporting greater equity and accountability in art museum workplaces. She is currently the Director of Programs & Exhibitions at NXTHVN, an arts non-profit in New Haven, CT. As an independent curator, she has guest-curated and written for various arts and cultural organizations, including the Latinx Project at New York University; Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, NY; and the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA. For the American Federation of Arts, she also co-curated the traveling exhibition, Xican-a.o.x. Body (2023–2025) with Cecilia Fajardo-Hill and Gilbert Vicario. Over the course of her career, Marissa has held positions, including curatorial internships and fellowships at NXTHVN, the Phoenix Art Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Getty Research Institute, and the Smithsonian Latino Center. Originally from Southern California, Marissa holds an MA in Art History from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a BA in Art History from the University of California, Riverside.
Recent Experience
June 2020 - Present
Curator and Art Historian
Independent (remote)
June 2021 - June 2022
Curatorial Fellow
NXTHVN, New Haven, CT
June 2021 - Present
Editorial Board
Museums Moving Forward (remote)
September 2022 - 2025
Assistant Director of Programs and Exhibitions
NXTHVN, New Haven, CT
September 2018 - May 2020
DAMLI Curatorial Fellow
Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ
September 2025 - Present
Director of Programs and Exhibitions
NXTHVN, New Haven, CT

