The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum‘s director Richard Armstrong is stepping down in 2023 after serving at the institution for 14 years.
Armstrong will work alongside the museum’s board to find his replacement. He first announced his departure in an interview with the Financial Times.
He told the publication that he will be leaving the museum “sometime next spring”. “It’ll be almost 15 years by then and that’s a long time,” he said. “The board is rejuvenated, and active – it’s a good moment.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to lead efforts that ensure solid footing and deliver a robust global cultural program for the Guggenheim,” Armstrong said in a statement (via ARTnews).
“I’m proud of what we have accomplished including: caring for the staff, embracing principles around DEAI and sustainability, defining our brand for the future, and coming through the pandemic with financial health.”
Armstrong’s tenure included guiding the museum through the pandemic and executing a plan to be more inclusive and racially diverse following accusations by employees of entrenched racism.
He also removed the Sackler name from the walls of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, which was first established in 1939 as the Museum of Non-Objective Painting.
Before working for the Guggenheim, Armstrong served as director of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh and the Whitney Museum in New York.
Director leaving “sometime next spring”
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation oversees New York’s Guggenheim Museum, as well as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is in development and due to open in 2026.
Armstrong previously said the museum on Saadiyat Island “will be home to an expansive and evolving collection of artworks that advance multiple perspectives on the global histories of modern and contemporary art”.
“Abu Dhabi is a vibrant and diverse cultural centre with a global outlook and rapidly growing creative economy, making it the ideal location for a new international museum,” he added.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s president and CEO Daniel Weiss is also stepping down from his post in 2023. “Leading the Met has been an extraordinary honor,” he said.
Images: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
