Rory Padeken develops cross-disciplinary exhibitions and programs that fosters dialog and exchange. His curatorial works is centered on advocacy for artists, expanding the narratives of modern and contemporary art through key acquisitions for museum collections, and examining timely social issues. He joined the Denver Art Museum (DAM) in 2022 as Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and reinstalled the modern and contemporary art galleries to offer a more expansive view of the art of our times. Upcoming exhibitions at the DAM include an intimate presentation of works by Denver-based artist Susan Wick and a mesmerizing video installation by Sarah Sze.

For more than a decade, he worked as a curator at the San José Museum of Art organizing exhibitions and projects on Pae White's probing curiosity with materials and phenomena; Vietnamese and Vietnamese American stories of war and migration in Dinh Q. Lê’s video installations; the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the Mexico-US border in the work of Richard Misrach and Guillermo Galindo; the first major US solo exhibition of video animations and drawings by Japanese artist Tabaimo; and Diana Thater's enveloping video projects of earthly and cosmic realms. His publications include Dinh Q. Lê: True Journey is Return (2018) and Jean Conner: Collage (2022).