Jan, 19, 2022
Media AlertsBoard of Trustees and Leadership
Phoenix Art Museum selects Jeremy Mikolajczak to serve as Museum’s new director and CEO in national search
The new Sybil Harrington Director and CEO will begin his tenure at Phoenix Art Museum in mid-April 2022
PHOENIX (January 19, 2022) – Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) announced today that it has appointed Jeremy Mikolajczak to serve as the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and Chief Executive Officer. Mikolajczak, who currently serves as the Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO of the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA), will assume his role at PhxArt, the leading and largest art museum in the Southwestern United States, beginning in April 2022. Mikolajczak brings to the institution significant experience as a museum director and curator with a special focus on community engagement and education, having served previously as the executive director, chief curator, curatorial fellow, and faculty with learning institutions across the country. Mikolajczak was selected following a national search led by a diverse group of Trustees, community leaders, and Museum leadership.
“We are honored to announce to our community the appointment of Jeremy Mikolajczak to the role of director and CEO at Phoenix Art Museum,” said David Lenhardt, the vice-chair of the Board of Trustees who chaired the national search committee. “As we set out on this search, our goal was to identify a museum leader who would be deeply invested in the success of the institution, building upon the strengths of past leaders, while bringing an innovative, entrepreneurial focus to its mission. Jeremy’s background and experience make him the right candidate to lead Phoenix Art Museum toward further growth and increased relevance to our diverse communities, empowering the Museum to meet the needs of our audience in ways that are authentic and meaningful.”
Mikolajczak brings more than two decades’ experience as a museum executive, scholar, and curator to the directorship at Phoenix Art Museum. Since joining the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA) in 2016, Mikolajczak led the organization through a period of exceptional growth including overseeing a capital campaign that powered strategic expansions to the TMA campus and enabled the museum to better engage its multicultural community, including the establishment and renovation of the Alice Chaiten Baker Center for Art Education and the Kasser Family Wing of Latin American Art.
Along with his experience leading a museum in Arizona, Mikolajczak also led a museum in a major metropolitan region, having served as the executive director and chief curator of the Miami-Dade College’s Museum and Galleries of Art + Design, where he oversaw a network of six campus galleries and an international sculpture garden, founded the Museum of Art + Design, established the Cuban Exile Experience located in downtown Miami’s Freedom Tower, and helped to grow the institution’s annual impact to more than 100,000 visitors. Mikolajczak has also served as a scholar and educator at the University of Florida (Gainesville) and the University of Central Missouri.
“I am thrilled to be joining this exceptional museum and leading the next phase of Phoenix Art Museum and its prominent role as the foremost institution of our region,” said Mikolajczak. “Having spent the last six years in Arizona, I have greatly admired the work of the world-class museum, its incredible history, extensive collection, and exemplary scholarship. I feel genuinely privileged for the opportunity to work with a dedicated board, museum patrons, and diverse community, as well as an outstanding staff that mirrors my enthusiasm and drive to shape the future of a dynamic and inclusive Phoenix Art Museum. At a time of tremendous growth and opportunity in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, I look forward to building upon the outstanding achievements of my predecessors and advancing the Museum’s commitment to innovation and engagement.”
“Jeremy’s tenure at Tucson Museum of Art was marked by his energy, enthusiasm and passion,” said Mary Jo Brown, president of the Board at TMA. “Through his leadership and vision, TMA focused on enhancing the museum experience, advancing diversity through curatorial efforts and community engagement, and expanding our permanent collections to reflect our unique multi-cultural heritage. His influence will continue well into our future.”
Phoenix Art Museum began its national search in September 2021, after the departure of its former Sybil Harrington Director and CEO, Timothy R. Rodgers, PhD, who completed his service in July 2021, following his appointment as the Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. During the search, Mark Koenig, the Museum’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer, has served as the Museum’s interim director. Koenig, along with the Museum’s executive team and the Board of Trustees, will comprise a key a part of the new director’s transition team in the months ahead.
“I’m delighted to turn the reins over to our new director,” said Koenig. “During my own experience leading the institution, I have been inspired by the care, concern, and commitment of the Museum’s constituents. From our volunteer Docent corps to our Museum Members, from our staff to our visitors, the Museum is supported by an incredible groundswell of support from within our community. I am confident that with their continued support, along with our Board of Trustees, Jeremy and the Museum as a whole, are poised for tremendous success.”
For more information on the national search or to schedule interviews, contact the Communications Office at Phoenix Art Museum at press@phxart.org.
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences 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 the city’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the American Southwest. Each year, more than 300,000 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 comprehensive educational programs designed to promote whole-life learning for visitors of all ages. Through a landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, the Museum presents an array of exhibitions of photography drawn from the Center’s extensive archives. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit the Museum’s fully bilingual (Spanish and English) website at phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.