Jessica Kinsey appointed Executive Director 

The Museum of the Southwest (MSW) has named Jessica Kinsey, an experienced museum leader with a strong track record of institutional growth and community engagement, as its next Executive Director. She will assume her position effective October 1, 2026. The nationwide search was led by MS&R Senior Search Consultant Dan Yaeger.

Kinsey most recently spent eight years running the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), where she grew operating revenue by 89% while helping secure over $1 million in philanthropic support and expanding the professional staff. Under her leadership, SUMA also landed a major sculpture by renowned Chiricahua Apache artist Allan Houser for its redesigned sculpture court. 

Since 2025, Kinsey has been an Assistant Professor of Arts Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Oklahoma, teaching museum leadership and strategic planning, and she serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. She holds an M.A. in Museum Studies and a B.A. in Art History, both from the University of Oklahoma.

“Jessica impressed us with her energy, creativity, and proven ability to build an organization while bringing people together around a shared vision,” said Doug Schmidt, President of the MSW Board of Trustees. “She understands that the Museum of the Southwest is a multidisciplinary institution serving art, science, children, families, and the broader West Texas community. We believe she is the right leader to build on the Museum’s strengths and lead us into its next chapter.” 

Kinsey will live in Midland and looks forward to spending time at her family’s property in West Texas near Fort Davis. She succeeds Interim Executive Director Dwight Alworth, who steered the Museum through its leadership transition.

Jeff King appointed Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of Memphis Museums of Science & History (MoSH) has appointed Jeff King as the organization’s next Executive Director, effective October 1, 2026. King has served as Interim Executive Director since December 2025. His appointment follows a comprehensive national search conducted by MS&R Senior Search Consultant Ida Tomlin.

King joined MoSH in August 2021 as Director of Guest Services and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in July 2023. In that role, he oversaw education, exhibitions and collections, marketing, theater and planetarium operations, public programming, and other operational functions across the organization’s properties. 

King has extensive experience in museum operations, strategic planning, staff development, financial oversight, visitor engagement, and organizational management. Before joining MoSH, he held several leadership positions at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), including Director of Operations. During his time at DAM, he managed large-scale visitor and sales operations for an institution serving as many as one million visitors annually and led teams of up to 250 employees. He holds a B.A. in Fine and Studio Arts, with a minor in Art History, from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

“Jeff brings a rare combination of institutional knowledge, operational expertise, and a deep, genuine love for each of our museum properties,” said Gwyn Fisher, Chair of the MoSH Board of Trustees. “Throughout his interim leadership, he has demonstrated that he understands not only where this organization has been, but also the tremendous opportunity ahead. The Board is confident that Jeff has the vision, experience, and commitment to lead our museums into their next chapter—expanding our reach, strengthening our impact, and ensuring these treasured institutions continue to serve our community for generations to come.”

Joanna Robotham appointed Curator of Contemporary Art

We are pleased to announce that the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) has appointed Joanna Robotham as the John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Curator of Contemporary Art.

Robotham comes to the PMA from the Tampa Museum of Art, where she worked for the last ten years. The national search was led by MS&R Senior Search Consultant Dan Yaeger. Robotham began her new role on September 8, 2026.

Robotham will lead the exhibition, interpretation, cultivation, and strategic growth of the Museum’s contemporary art holdings. In dialogue with the PMA’s modern collection, the contemporary art collection traces the evolution of artistic experimentation across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is comprised of approximately 1,200 works of painting, sculpture, film, and digital media and holds major works by artists including Agnes Martin, Cy Twombly, Barkley Hendricks, Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman, Bob Thompson, Ellsworth Kelly, Eva Hesse, and Robert Rauschenberg, among many others.

Previously, as the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art, Robotham oversaw the modern and contemporary collection of approximately 7,000 objects, including robust acquisitions of Caribbean, regional, and women artists. Prior to that, she held the Neubauer Family Foundation Assistant Curator position at the Jewish Museum in New York City. Robotham received her M.A. in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and her B.A. in Art History and Political Science from the University of Washington.

“Welcoming Joanna to the Museum’s Modern and Contemporary Art department marks an exciting new chapter for our curatorial programming,” said Daniel Weiss, the George D. Widener Director and CEO. “Her fresh perspective and vision strengthen our commitment to supporting living artists and expanding the conversations our institution can foster.”

Laura J. Mueller, Ph.D. appointed Executive Director of the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Laura J. Mueller, Ph.D. as the new Executive Director of the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC. Mueller recently served as the Interim Executive Director of the New Mexico Museum of Art and Vladem Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She officially takes the helm as Executive Director on August 3, 2026. Senior Search Consultant Ken Turino led the national search.

Mueller is a museum executive, curator, and art historian with more than twenty years of leadership experience in art museums and cultural institutions. She has overseen multimillion-dollar budgets, led major fundraising initiatives and capital projects, curated nationally recognized exhibitions, and cultivated strategic partnerships that expand community engagement. An internationally recognized scholar of Japanese art, she has published extensively and lived and conducted research in Japan. Mueller holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics from Gustavus Adolphus College, a Master of Arts in Arts Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University, and a Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Wisconsin. 

“The CMA Board of Trustees is delighted to welcome Dr. Mueller to the Museum,” says Therese Griffin, Board President.” In addition to her well-rounded museum management and curatorial experiences, the Board was drawn to her strong world view, cultural leadership, and work around strengthening museums through strategic positioning and capacity building.”  

“We celebrated the CMA’s 75th anniversary in 2025 and the reinstallation of its impressive art collection this year, so Dr. Mueller will assume leadership at a pivotal moment in the Museum’s history,” says Griffin. “We look forward to embracing her vision as she guides the CMA to the next level of strategic growth and sustainability.” 

“I believe museums have the power to inspire curiosity, foster empathy, and bring people together through shared experiences,” says Mueller. “I am excited to work alongside the Board, staff, members, donors, artists, and our community to ensure the Museum continues to be a welcoming, dynamic, and inspiring cultural resource.”

Lacy Schutz appointed Interim Executive Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Lacy Schutz as the Interim Executive Director at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) Cincinnati. Senior Search Consultant Dan Yaeger led the national search. Schutz will begin her new role on May 18.

Schutz brings nearly twenty years of cultural-institution leadership to the role, with a track record of advancing artistic ambition alongside organizational and financial strength. Most recently, she served as Managing Director of ATHR Gallery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the leading contemporary art galleries in the Gulf region. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of the Shaker Museum in New York, where she stabilized operations, rebuilt donors and community trust, and launched a transformative capital campaign. She has also held senior leadership roles at the Museum of the City of New York.

“We are genuinely thrilled to welcome Lacy to CAC,” said Emily Kokenge and Rick Michelman, co-presidents of CAC’s Board of Trustees. “She understands what makes CAC singular, and she has the experience to protect that while building the foundation this institution needs to take its next leap. We couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

Schutz has a deep commitment to the civic role of contemporary art institutions and to CAC’s history of courageous programming. “CAC has been making bold choices since 1939,” Schutz said. “It has shown work that wasn’t safe, stood its ground when that mattered, and earned a particular kind of trust that very few institutions can claim. I am coming to Cincinnati to help build on that, to strengthen the foundation that makes the risk-taking possible, and to make sure this place continues to be what it has always been: somewhere the future gets rehearsed.”