Kaywin Feldman Named First Female Director of National Gallery of Art

Kaywin Feldman has been appointed as the first female director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a role she will assume in March 2019. She succeeds Earl Powell III, who led the institution for 26 years. Feldman currently directs the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where she nearly doubled attendance from 450,000 in 2009 to over 700,000 in 2018. She has also implemented digital technologies and championed social equity, including the launch of the Center for Empathy and the Visual Arts. Previously, she served as president of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Alliance of Museums, and directed the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Feldman's appointment marks a shift for the National Gallery, which has faced criticism over management and sexual misconduct allegations. She praised the board for prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their search.