Philanthropist and community leader Ellen Katz named honorary Trustee of Phoenix Art Museum

Oct, 28, 2019

Board of Trustees and Leadership

Philanthropist and community leader Ellen Katz named honorary Trustee of Phoenix Art Museum

Katz is recognized for her 19 years of service to the institution through significant leadership roles

PHOENIX (October 28, 2019) –Phoenix Art Museum has named Ellen Katz an honorary Trustee of its governing Board of Trustees in recognition of her longtime service to and support of the Museum for nearly two decades. Along with a substantial gift in 2006 that resulted in the construction of the Museum’s Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art, Katz created and executed two of the most successful fundraisers in the Museum’s history: The pARTy, the institution’s annual fall gala, and the Independent Woman Luncheon hosted each spring, which together have raised millions of dollars benefitting Phoenix Art Museum.

“The Museum is honored to recognize Ellen Katz for her incomparable and ardent support of Phoenix Art Museum over the years. Not only has Ellen served as a model for the kind of transformative impact one individual can have on the success of a civic institution, but her leadership and devotion to the Museum have inspired others to volunteer, donate, and lead efforts that make it possible for us to bring the world to our city, and our city to the world,” said Carter Emerson, who serves as co-chair of the Board of Trustees.

Katz and her husband, Howard, began their relationship with the Museum in 2001 as members of the Museum’s Circles of Support, the institution’s premier leadership giving program. In 2006, they endowed funds to support the construction of a new 25,000-square-foot wing for contemporary art, now known as the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art, in which the Museum has presented many of its most beloved exhibitions, including Andy Warhol: Portraits; Kehinde Wiley: Memling; and Defining Moments: Fifty Years of Fashion at Phoenix Art Museum.  

Katz first joined the Board of Trustees in 2003, before serving as vice chair from 2005–07. From 2007–10, she served as chair of the Board, providing thoughtful and strategic guidance during crucial moments in the Museum’s history, including the national economic downturn in 2008.

In addition, Katz served in Museum leadership roles in 2007 and 2011, respectively, when she created and chaired the inaugural planning committees for The pARTy gala and the Independent Woman Luncheon, fundraisers that have cumulatively raised nearly $13 million in gifts of support for exhibitions and arts education programs at Phoenix Art Museum. Most recently, she served in 2018 on the steering committee for The pARTy in the Garden, which drew more than $1 million given in support of the Museum. For her creative vision and dedication to these two events and the Museum, Katz will be recognized at both The pARTy in the Garden on November 2, 2019 and the 10^th-annual Independent Woman Luncheon on March 2, 2020.

Honorary Trustees are recommended and nominated by the Museum’s nominating and governance committee, which oversees Board appointments. To be named an honorary Trustee, a candidate must have demonstrated extraordinary service to and support of Phoenix Art Museum by serving a minimum of three terms as either a Trustee, officer of the Board, or chair of a Museum committee; in a leadership role in Museum fundraising efforts; or in a management role of a special project that significantly benefits the Museum. With Katz, the Board now includes six honorary Trustees, including philanthropists Drew M. Brown, Amy Clague, Jacquie Dorrance, Michael Greenbaum, and Lila Harnett.

The Museum’s 33-member Board of Trustees consists of top-tier civic and business leaders in the Valley. Board members may serve a maximum of three 3-year terms before rolling off the board for one year, as stated in the Museum’s governing bylaws. For more information about Phoenix Art Museum and its Board of Trustees, contact the Marketing and Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at 602.257.2105 or margaree.bigler@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 350,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.