Kemper Museum Hires New Director

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has appointed a new museum director: Current chief curator and director of exhibitions and collections Barbara O'Brien.

O'Brien is replacing former director Rachael Blackburn Cozad, who resigned from the position in May.

O'Brien will take the helm immediately, and she will also continue to serve as chief curator until the end of the year.

Founder and chairman of the museum's board of trustees R. Crosby Kemper said in a statement that he and other board members were "excited to promote from within the organization."

O'Brien has been with the museum for almost three years and has curated a number of exhibitions. Prior to her post at the Kemper, she served as an assistant art professor and gallery director at Simmons College in Boston.

Originally from northeast Kansas, O'Brien holds an MFA in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design and undergraduate degrees from the University of Kansas.