Nicholas Cullinan has been appointed as the new director of the British Museum. He takes over from interim director Mark Jones and will begin his new role in the summer.
Cullinan is an experienced museum director. He has run the National Portrait Gallery since April 2015, leading the most significant transformation in its history.
Before that, he worked at New York‘s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Tate Modern in London as a curator.
George Osborne, the British Museum’s chair, said the trustees chose Cullinan as the new director because “he brings proven leadership today and great potential for tomorrow”.
“He has shown his capacity as director of the National Portrait Gallery to oversee both a major physical renovation and a compelling renewal of purpose in a way that doesn’t take sides, but brings people together – and won universal acclaim.
“We believe he can achieve this, and more, on the bigger scale of the British Museum as we undertake a once-in-a-generation redevelopment.
“In doing so he can build on the solid foundations laid by Mark Jones, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude for stepping into the breach last year.”
Cullinan said he is looking forward to working with the museum‘s board in “leading it into a new chapter”.
New director after alleged thefts
He added: “This will encompass the most significant transformations, both architectural and intellectual, happening in any museum globally, to continue making the British Museum the most engaged and collaborative it can be.
“Leading the remarkable transformation of the National Portrait Gallery over the last decade with its wonderful trustees, staff and supporters has been the honour of a lifetime and I can’t imagine a better challenge or opportunity to build on that than collectively reimagining the British Museum for the widest possible audience and future generations.”
In more news, the British Museum has launched legal proceedings against a former curator who allegedly stole and damaged up to 2,000 objects from its collection.
The museum’s previous director, Hartwig Fischer, stepped down in response to the alleged thefts.
Images courtesy of the British Museum and Zoë Law
