The Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona has named Jeremy Mikolajczak as its new director. Mikolajczak, who begins in April, replaces Tim Rodgers, who was at the institution for less than a year before leaving to become the director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
Mikolajczak is currently the director of the Tucson Museum of Art, which he has led since 2016. During his tenure there, he oversaw a capital campaign for an expansion of the museum’s campus, which included the establishment of an art education center and a wing for Latin American art. Prior to moving to Arizona, Mikolajczak was director and chief curator of the Miami-Dade College’s Museum and Galleries of Art + Design in Florida, where he launched the consortium’s Museum of Art + Design.
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“Having spent the last six years in Arizona, I have greatly admired the work of the world-class museum, its incredible history, extensive collection, and exemplary scholarship,” Mikolajczak said in a statement. “At a time of tremendous growth and opportunity in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, I look forward to building upon the outstanding achievements of my predecessors and advancing the Museum’s commitment to innovation and engagement.”
Since 2015, the Phoenix Art Museum has been seeking to become the country’s first fully bilingual art museum. A $1.3 million grant allowed the museum to launch a custom-translated English-Spanish website, hire a staff translator, and work toward making all of its wall texts and collection documents available in Spanish.
In a statement, David Lenhardt, the board’s vice-chair who led the search committee, said, “As we set out on this search, our goal was to identify a museum leader who would be deeply invested in the success of the institution, building upon the strengths of past leaders, while bringing an innovative, entrepreneurial focus to its mission. Jeremy’s background and experience make him the right candidate to lead Phoenix Art Museum toward further growth and increased relevance to our diverse communities, empowering the Museum to meet the needs of our audience in ways that are authentic and meaningful.”
Source: artnews.com