Paul Schimmel is the chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. He has organized such major exhibitions as Helter Skelter: Los Angeles Art in the 1990s; Hand-Painted Pop: American Art in Transition, 1955–62; Sigmar Polke Photoworks: When Pictures Vanish; Robert Gober; Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949–1979; and Charles Ray. Major publications accompanied each of these shows. He initiated the museum's Focus series of small, one-person exhibitions, which has featured such artists such as Arshile Gorky, Jennifer Pastor, Franz West, and Richard Wilson.
Visited the Curatorial Models course
Paul Schimmel's participation in the Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice was made possible by a grant from the Getty Grant Program.