Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Names New Director

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art recently named its fifth director, Juli?n Zugazagoitia. Marc F. Wilson, the museum's Director/CEO for nearly three decades, announced last year that he would retire effective June 1, 2010.

By Laura Spencer

Kansas City, MO – Mexico-born and Paris-educated museum director, scholar and curator Juli?n Zugazagoitia (pronounced HOO-lian SZU-ga-sa-GOY-tee-uh) has been named the fifth director for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

For the past seven years, Zugazagoitia has been the director and CEO of El Museo del Barrio in New York, a museum of Latin American and Latino Art. He previously worked as a curator at the Guggenheim Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute, and as director of visual arts for the Spoleto Festival. Zugazagoitia speaks six languages and has worked in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Juli?n Zugazagoitia begins his post on September 1st, 2010.