Frick Assortment Hires Axel Rüger as New Director

The Frick Assortment introduced the appointment of Axel Rüger because the museum’s subsequent Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen director. He begins the brand new submit in early 2025, when the museum reopens.

Rüger has served as secretary and chief government of the Royal Academy of Arts in London since Might 2019. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw a £23 million ($30.5 million) redevelopment of the Royal Academy colleges and curated two acclaimed exhibitions, together with “Souls Grown Deep Just like the Rivers: Black Artists from the American South” (2023) and a retrospective of the work of British artist Sir Michael Craig-Martin (2024). He additionally beforehand helmed the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Previous to that, Rüger held a curatorial place at London’s Nationwide Gallery, the place he oversaw the gathering of seventeenth and eighteenth-century Dutch work.

Moreover, Rüger is a trustee of the U.Okay.’s Artwork Fund and serves on the advisory board of Van Lanschot Kempen Bankiers within the Netherlands.

“The Frick is a uniquely particular place, and there may be not one other museum on the planet fairly prefer it,” Rüger stated in a press release. “Main the Frick—with its spectacular assortment of beautiful masterpieces, wealthy historical past of exhibitions, intimate residential setting, library, and placement in such an thrilling metropolis—is an irresistible proposition, significantly at this milestone second. Following the biggest renovation within the establishment’s historical past, it’s an thrilling time to re-open, develop thrilling packages for loyal guests, and welcome new audiences who haven’t but found this treasure trove of a museum.”

The Frick started a world seek for its subsequent director in spring 2024, after Ian Wardropper introduced his retirement. Wardropper led the New York establishment for fourteen years, creating strategic planning methods and progress, together with the primary complete renovation of its historic buildings in nearly 90 years.

“Axel is a uncommon museum director who embodies a fancy set of expertise, all of that are of nice significance, significantly at this pivotal second for cultural organizations. As a longtime museum director, he brings regular, strategic perception, in addition to a confirmed skill to encourage and information dynamic groups to nice achievement. A superb thoughts within the subject, he additionally holds a extremely related curatorial background. As we put together to embark on a brand new period for the Frick, I’m assured in his skill to steer us nicely. I lengthen my deepest gratitude to Ian Wardropper for his regular management of our group. Ian’s imaginative and prescient and tireless work function our basis as we transfer ahead,” stated the Frick Assortment’s board chair Elizabeth M. Eveillard.