Mariët Westermann

Dr Mariët Westermann is the director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, overseeing its New York flagship, the Foundation, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and collaborating with the directors of Bilbao and Abu Dhabi.

Westermann previously led NYU Abu Dhabi and was Provost at its founding. An art historian, she is recognised as an innovative, empathetic leader who promotes excellence, manages complexity, and emphasises the importance of art, culture, and the humanities in a globalised world.

As CEO, Westermann leads the Guggenheim's strategic vision, overseeing collection, preservation, and interpretation of modern and contemporary art. She connects audiences with the collections and manages both the foundation and the New York museum, acting as chief steward of its key collections, educational programs, and international sites in Europe and Abu Dhabi.

Westermann was formerly the executive vice president at the Mellon Foundation, a faculty member and director at NYU/Institute of Fine Arts, and held roles at the Clark Art Institute and Rutgers. She graduated from Williams College and earned her Master’s and PhD in Art History from NYU. She has received fellowships and grants from the NEH, American Philosophical Society, Clark, CAA, and the Met.

She has written many books, articles, and essays on Dutch art, artists, museums, and higher education. She was the lead curator and catalogue author for 'Art and Home: Dutch Interiors in the Age of Rembrandt' at the Denver and Newark Museums (2001-2002), and was a curatorial consultant and essayist for the National Gallery of Art’s 1996 'Jan Steen: Painter and Storyteller' (in partnership with Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).

Dr Westermann is a board member of ALIPH – The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas, the Educational Testing Service, and the Rijksmuseum. She also chairs the Scholar Rescue Fund at the Institute of International Education. In Abu Dhabi, she serves on the boards of AmCham Abu Dhabi and the US-UAE Business Council.