The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation has appointed Mariët Westermann as its next director and chief executive. Westermann will be the first woman to direct Guggenheim Museum.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, headquartered in New York, has made history by appointing a woman as its director and CEO for the first time. Following six months of thorough research by the museum’s leadership, Mariët Westermann has been chosen to succeed Richard Armstrong.
In addition to overseeing the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Westermann will collaborate with the directors of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, slated to open in 2026.
Currently serving as the Vice Chancellor at New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Westermann has previously managed various philanthropic organizations. Tom Hill, the chairman of the institution’s board, eagerly anticipates working with Westermann, whom he has known personally for over 20 years, to implement a strategic plan aimed at expanding the museum’s collection and boosting global initiatives.
Third woman to lead Guggenheim
Before her tenure at NYU Abu Dhabi, Westermann served as the Deputy Director for Research at the Clark Art Institute, affiliated with Williams College in Massachusetts. Between 1995 and 2001, she held a faculty position at Rutgers University. From 2010 to 2019, Westermann also served as the Vice President at the Mellon Foundation.
In its 86-year history, Westermann becomes the third woman to lead the Guggenheim and the first woman to serve as both director and CEO. The institution’s inaugural director was the artist Hilla von Rebay, succeeded by five more directors: James Johnson Sweeney, Thomas M. Messer, Thomas Krens, Lisa Dennison, and Armstrong.
Westermann will commence her new role on June 1, 2024. Until then, the museum will be overseen by Chief Curator Naomi Beckwith, General Counsel Sarah Austrian, and CFO Marcy Withington.
Source: Artnews