The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announced that Julián Zugazagoitia has been named the new Director/CEO of the Nelson-Atkins, the fifth director in the Museum’s 75-year history. Zugazagoitia, 46, an international scholar, museum director and consultant who has served for the past seven years as the Director/CEO of El Museo del Barrio in New York, was the unanimous choice of search committee members and will begin his position Sept. 1, 2010.
Marc F. Wilson, the Museum’s esteemed Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell Director/CEO for the past 28 years, announced last year that he would retire effective June 1, 2010. During Wilson’s tenure, the Nelson-Atkins became a world-class destination that earned acclaim for its Bloch Building expansion, new Ford Learning Center, renovated Kansas City Sculpture Park and dramatic new galleries, including recently opened American and American Indian galleries.
“A successor to honor the breathtaking array of accomplishments was not easily found, but Julián Zugazagoitia is just such a person,‖ said Sarah F. Rowland, chair of the Nelson-Atkins Board of Trustees. ―He is a man of many talents, a man of broad vision, one whom we believe will honor the accomplishments of others. His energy has delighted all who have met him.”
A committee made up of nine Museum trustees began searching for Wilson’s successor more than a year ago, and they encountered strong interest in the position locally, nationally and internationally. They were taken with Zugazagoitia’s energy as a leader, his passion for the arts, and his international background—born in Mexico City and educated in France, Zugazagoitia speaks six languages and has worked at institutions in the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Julián Zugazagoitia (pronounced HOO-lian SZU-ga-sa-GOY-tee-ah) holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Sorbonne Paris IV, with a focus on Aesthetics and Modernism in the arts. His work as a consultant, lecturer and curator has involved projects around the globe with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Executive Assistant to the Director for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. During his tenure at El Museo del Barrio, a leading museum of Latino and Latin American art, Zugazagoitia led the institution through a $44 million capital campaign and a full renovation, which opened in 2009 to critical acclaim.
Founded in 1933, the Nelson-Atkins is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves its community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 33,500 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, photography, European and American paintings, and modern sculpture. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region.
www.nelson-atkins.org
