Overview
- The trustees announced Friday that deputy director Jillian Jones will become executive director and chief curator Cathleen Chaffee will become artistic director, with both posts effective November 1.
- Director Janne Sirén will leave at the end of October after 13 years; local reports had questioned a low-interest museum loan tied to his home but the museum says the loan was repaid and his exit was unrelated.
- The board framed the co-leadership as a deliberate model to align programming, operations and fundraising so the museum can move quickly from its expansion into steady operations.
- The appointments come after a $230 million capital campaign and a 2023 OMA-designed campus expansion that raised visitor numbers, though outlets report different post-reopening attendance figures.
- Jones and Chaffee will launch a five-year strategic plan this autumn, which could reshape exhibition priorities, fundraising strategy and community programs and will be closely watched for how it balances artistic risk with financial sustainability.