Prospect.2 curator Dan Cameron surprised people when he announced on the opening night of Prospect.2 that he would be stepping down as Artistic Director of Prospect New Orleans. The next day, The Times-Picayune‘s Doug MacCash wrote:

Dan Cameron

In an interview after the Prospect.2 opening, Cameron said part of his decision to leave the director’s position was based on the persistent memory of Prospect.1’s financial troubles. Some onlookers will always ask: “Isn’t that the director that incurred that debt,” he said. Despite the $25 million in economic impact that Cameron claims Prospect.1 provided, city and state support of the second show has dwindled, he said. He hopes support will increase, if local financial backers can be assured “It’s not Dan’s biennial; it’s the city’s biennial.”

Cameron said another reason to end his tenure as director is an international art exhibit tradition. Prospect.1 and 2 were modeled on similar biennial exhibits from Venice to Sao Paulo that change curators for each show to ensure a freshness of vision. Though Cameron originally expected to select artists for the New Orleans show through Prospect.5 in 2017, he now feels it’s time for a change. “I’m doing the best thing for Prospect,” he said. It’s time for us to join the ranks of biennials all over. I didn’t want to be one of those directors who just lingers.”

Today, organizers announced that Franklin Sirmans, the Terri and Michael Smooke Department Head and Curator of Contemporary Art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will be the Artistic Director of Prospect.3, which will start in October 2013. Cameron will remain a part of Prospect New Orleans as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

Prospect.2 will continue until January 29, 2012.