Parrish Art Museum Names A New Director

It’s official. The Parrish Art Museum has a new director.

On June 8, Parrish Board Co-Chairs Alexandra Stanton and Frederic M. Seegal, and Co-Presidents Sean Cohan and Timothy G. Davis announced that Mónica Ramírez-Montagut has been named the next director of the Parrish Art Museum, effective July 8.

A former assistant curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Ramírez-Montagut comes to the position from the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum of Michigan State University where she was executive director. She joins the museum as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in Water Mill and approaches its 125th anniversary as a leading arts institution on the East End.

“I am delighted to join the talented staff and board at the Museum and to be a part of this multi-faceted community,” said Ramírez-Montagut. “It’s truly an honor to contribute to the vision and mission of the Parrish — an institution I have admired for some time.”

According the Parrish Board, Ramírez-Montagut comes to the position with proven leadership experience in strategic planning, curatorial strategy and comprehensive community engagement.

“Mónica is completely aligned with the Parrish and our many communities in terms of her passion, experience, and vision,” the board said in a statement. “In addition to leading the MSU Broad Art Museum she was Director of the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University, where she created and implemented a multi-year strategic plan focused on serving diverse communities, accessibility, and institutional relevance. Mónica has held senior positions at leading arts organizations including the San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, Calif.; The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Conn.; and the Guggenheim. Throughout her career, she has curated a wide range of critically acclaimed exhibitions and is the author of many publications on art and architecture.”

A frequent juror and panelist, Ramírez-Montagut served on the U.S. Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions (Venice Biennale), Washington, D.C., the organization that selected Simone Leigh, the first Black woman to represent the United States and winner of the Venice Biennale Golden Lion. A native of Mexico, Ramírez-Montagut earned a Master of Architecture and Ph.D. in Theory and History of Architecture from the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, ETSAB, Barcelona, Spain, plus a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Ibero Americana, Mexico City, Mexico.