Noel Herden appointed as Executive Director

The Ellen Noël Art Museum (ENAM) has named Nicole Herden as its Executive Director. She began work on April 14. The national search was led by MS&R Senior Search Consultant, Dan Yaeger.

She most recently served as Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, where she ran a multidisciplinary organization with an accredited art museum, theater, and art school. Her previous experience includes Executive Director at the Museum of Nebraska Art as well as curatorial and collections roles at Boise Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and Arizona State University Art Museum.

Herden is an accomplished museum executive with over twenty years of experience in leadership, curatorial practice, and institutional transformation.

“Nicole has a blend of skills in museum management, art scholarship, fundraising, and community building that are an excellent fit with our Museum,” ENAM Board President Karmen Bryant said. “Her leadership will help us move into our new facility and chart a course for the coming years.”

ENAM is currently constructing a new 36,000-square-foot facility set to open in late 2025, which has been funded through a $20-million capital campaign. Bryant cited Herden’s experience with large-scale museum construction projects and fundraising. “She checked all the boxes for us,” Bryant said.

In addition to opening the new museum and launching new exhibitions in the galleries, Herden is charged with leading a strategic-planning effort that focuses on new opportunities generated by the new facility, galvanizing community support, and leveraging the Museum’s status as a Smithsonian Affiliate and AAM-accredited institution to serve visitors and the community.

Scott O’Donnell appointed Executive Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Scott O’Donnell as Executive Director of the Museum of the Southwest. He will begin work on April 1, 2025. Dan Yaeger, Senior Search Consultant for Museum Search & Reference, led the national search.

O’Donnell brings more than 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, museum administration, and event management. Most recently, Scott served for eleven years as the Executive Director of Circus World, a 64-acre living-history museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the historic headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Museum is the largest and most comprehensive circus museum in the world with more than 11,000 works of art, historic artifacts, and ephemera in addition to twice-daily seasonal circus performances.

In addition to his museum work, Scott served in leadership positions at Live Nation, an international entertainment and event-production company, where as Vice President of Festivals, he oversaw major music festivals, concerts, and venue operations around the country. He was also General Manager of the Verizon Wireless Theater in Houston, as well as Vice President and General Manager of the Big Apple Circus, a nonprofit touring circus with an international following.

As Executive Director of MSW, O’Donnell will lead the Museum’s efforts to prepare for its 60th anniversary in 2026 with a new strategic plan and branding, an initiative to create a new Visitor Center to unify its campus of museums, and by leveraging the Museum’s status to serve visitors and the community as an institution accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Christina Yang appointed as Executive Director

The AAMC & AAMC Foundation Board of Trustees has appointed Christina Yang as the next Executive Director. Yang brings nearly three decades of experience as a curator and program director working independently and at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archives. Yang will begin at AAMC part-time starting June 23, 2025, collaborating closely with Interim Executive Director Minna Lee, and will assume her position full-time on September 2, 2025. The search was led by MS&R Senior Search Consultant, Suzanne Tan. 

Yang most recently served as Chief Curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and as Deputy Director for Engagement at the Williams College Museum of Art. At the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, she led Public Programs from 2005 through 2019, including curating interdisciplinary global projects. Her early career was shaped by curatorial work at The Kitchen and the Queens Museum of Art. 

Based in New York City, Yang is currently working as an independent curator, writer, and educator, including as a regular contributor to the Brooklyn Rail, while completing her Ph.D. She is a specialist in global contemporary art with a focus on the Asian diaspora, social practice, performance, and experimental genres. Throughout her career, Yang has been an advocate for equitable access and new curatorial practices, and she has mentored emerging museum professionals, focusing on students of color. She teaches in the School of Visual Arts Master of Arts program in Curatorial Practice and has been an adjunct lecturer/recitation leader at Bennington College, New York University, California College of Arts and Crafts, and Long Island University.

Yang has served on the Board of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries as well as of Women & Performance, a journal of feminist theory. She is a Curatorial Ambassador for the new biannual Arrival Art Fair in North Adams, Massachusetts, opening in June 2025, and she will earn her Ph.D. in performance studies from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University in May 2025. She holds an M.A. from Williams College and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Peter A. Mello appointed Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA, has named Peter A. Mello as its new Executive Director. Mello succeeds Charles Weyerhaeuser, who has held the position for over 50 years. Mello began his tenure at the ACM on September 9. The nationwide search was led by Senior Search Consultant Lora Urbanelli.  

Mello joins the museum from WaterFire Providence, where he has been the Managing Director, co-CEO, and a Board Member since 2011. WaterFire Providence is a public art experience that draws thousands of visitors to the rivers and parks in downtown Providence, RI. 

In addition to the large public art event, Mello led the project team that created the WaterFire Arts Center, a 37,000-square-foot, multi-use arts center. He led the concept development, planning, design, and construction of the center, which opened in 2017. Mello also led the team that develops the exhibitions, programming, partnerships, and revenue generation strategies for the center. 

A strong supporter of young artists, Mello created WaterFire Accelerate, a professional development program for artists under 30, and ArtLab@WaterFire, a leadership and workforce development program for underserved high school students. 

 With the next Executive Director in place, Charles Weyerhaeuser will take on the new role of Chief Historian of the Art Complex Museum. In this position, he will collaborate with the museum’s Collections staff to document the history of museum, its collection, and additional acquisition details of key objects in the collection. 

Magdalena Moskalewicz appointed to the position of Chief Curator and Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Magdalena Moskalewicz to the position of Chief Curator and Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the Sheldon Museum of Art.  Moskalewicz was selected for the Sheldon position after a national search led by Suzanne Tan, senior search consultant at Museum Search & Reference.

Moskalewicz is an art historian, professor, and an internationally recognized curator, as well as a widely published researcher of modern and contemporary art. Most recently, she was Chief Curator of FRONT International, a contemporary art triennial based in Cleveland. Before that she served as a full-time visiting professor and adjunct associate professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, as a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University School of Art, and as an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In her native Poland, Moskalewicz was a visiting curator at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw and served as curator of the Polish Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, among other appointments. Moskalewicz was awarded both a Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Art History from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. 

“Magdalena brings to the Museum deep expertise and a compelling, progressive vision,” said Susan Longhenry, director of Sheldon Museum of Art. “Her commitment to simultaneously honoring and reframing Sheldon's collection, and to interrogating the art history canon, will take the Museum to the next level of scholarship, engagement, and impact.”

Moskalewicz has stated her interest in developing exhibitions and programs at Sheldon that “reflect the complexity of America today: globally connected and relevant,” aiming to “use art as a trigger that speaks to the moment,” and “delivering socially responsive curating that is stimulating and thought-provoking.”

She began her appointment in January 2025, joining a senior leadership team composed of the Museum’s Director and the newly hired Chief Curator and Associate Director for Learning, Engagement, and Public Practice.

Devon Kurtz appointed Executive Director

The New Hampshire Boat Museum in Moultonborough, NH has appointed Devon Kurtz as Executive Director. The national search was led by MS&R senior search consultant Dan Yaeger. Kurtz will begin work in April 2025.

Kurtz brings more than twenty years of experience in nonprofit leadership, museum administration, and community engagement. He joins NHBM after serving as Executive Director of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Northbridge, MA, where he spearheaded transformative projects, including the development of the Worcester Heritage Center and innovative interpretive programs that engaged inclusive audiences across 25 communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Before his tenure in the Blackstone Valley, Kurtz held positions at several prominent cultural institutions, including the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA, where he oversaw education and public programming, and the Concord Museum in Concord, MA, where he directed education and interpretation initiatives. His career also includes experience at Old Sturbridge Village, where he designed and implemented interpretive programs for more than 300,000 annual visitors.

As Executive Director, Kurtz will lead NHBM’s efforts to complete its $4-million capital campaign and oversee the buildout and phased opening of its new 24,000-square-foot facility, which was constructed in 2024 in Moultonborough, relocating the main museum site from Wolfeboro, NH.

"Devon’s proven track record in museum leadership and his ability to build meaningful connections with stakeholders make him an ideal fit for the New Hampshire Boat Museum," said Jaime Laurent, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees. "We are excited for the fresh perspectives he brings to our community and the institution." Kurtz said he is “honored to join NHBM at such a pivotal moment in its history. The museum’s mission to preserve and celebrate the state’s boating heritage is inspiring, and I look forward to working with the dedicated staff, board, and community to ensure its continued success and sustainability."

Robb Woulfe Appointed Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Robb Woulfe as Executive Director of the Racine Art Museum Association, Inc. (RAMA) in Racine, Wisconsin, which holds the largest craft collection in America . He will direct both the Racine Art Museum (RAM) in downtown Racine, and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts (Wustum) two miles from RAM.

Robb began his new role on January 13, 2025. A veteran arts leader, Woulfe was appointed by the RAMA Board following a rigorous national search led by Senior Search Consultant Ida Tomlin. 

Woulfe follows longtime Executive Director and Curator of Collections Bruce W. Pepich, who is retiring after five decades of service. Pepich will continue as a Consultant for Permanent Collection Projects throughout the spring before fully retiring. John Crimmings, RAMA Board President said, “Robb understands the legacy that Bruce built, and he brings a high level of enthusiasm, experience, and vision for RAMA’s continued excellence. The institution will continue to flourish under Robb’s leadership.”

“I am thrilled to have been selected as the next director of RAMA and cannot wait to work with its talented team and vibrant community as we embark on this new chapter together,” said Woulfe, a native of Saint Paul, Minnesota. “It is particularly meaningful to me to return to the Midwest where I grew up and first began my career in the arts, starting in Milwaukee more than 30 years ago. I have such admiration for all that Bruce W. Pepich, the staff, Board, and donors have accomplished, and I look forward to honoring and building on that legacy.”

Woulfe brings the extensive arts-management background needed to enhance programming and the Museums’ reach, accessibility, and impact in the community and beyond. He comes to Racine having served since 2020 as Executive Director of the Santa Cruz (CA) Museum of Art & History. During his tenure, he successfully navigated the Museum through the pandemic and into recovery. Previously, he served as Arts and Culture Development Advisor with Park City Municipal in Utah; Founding President and CEO of Breckenridge Creative Arts in Colorado; Executive and Artistic Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival in Michigan; and he held senior management and programming positions with other institutions in the Midwest. With a three-decade history of working with diverse artists from across genres and disciplines, Woulfe has organized and produced a wide range of projects in galleries, on stages, and in digital and site-specific contexts. He has also served as a panelist and juror for various agencies and organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Arts Midwest, Colorado Creative Industries, and Minnesota State Arts Board.

Randy Guthmiller Associate Director for Learning, Engagement, and Public Practice

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Guthmiller to the position of Associate Director for Learning, Engagement, and Public Practice at Sheldon Museum of Art. Guthmiller was selected after a national search led by Suzanne Tan, senior search consultant at Museum Search & Reference.   

A dedicated and passionate art museum professional, Randy has had significant work experience in both museum learning and the visitor experience at three major institutions in Texas. Most recently, he served as the Manager of Experiences and Programs at Ruby City in San Antonio, a contemporary community art center that opened to the public in 2019. Prior to that, Randy worked at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas, first as an educator and then as the Manager of Visitor Experiences, while also working for eight years as an artist educator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Guthmiller holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Education from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Randy to Sheldon’s team,” said Susan Longhenry, Director of the Museum. “His uniquely integrated expertise in community engagement, academic engagement, and the visitor experience aligns perfectly with our commitment to centering and deeply engaging visitors and members of both academic and non-academic communities.”

Randy began his appointment in January 2025, joining a senior leadership team composed of the Museum’s Director and the newly hired Chief Curator and Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs.