From Gary Waterston’s appointment at Pace Gallery to the resignation of Phillips CEO Stephen Brooks, here are some of the most notable role changes recently announced across the arts and culture spheres.
The Andy Warhol Foundation appoints Max Hollein to its board
Max Hollein, the director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been elected to the board of directors at the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
He will join the group of artists, curators, museum directors and scholars on a board that includes members like Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak and Guggenheim deputy director Naomi Beckwith. “The Warhol Foundation has made a tremendous difference in the art world by prioritizing artistic vision, empathy and impact,” said Hollein in a statement.
In addition to researching and preserving Warhol’s body of work, the foundation focuses on financially supporting artists and artist-centered projects. Earlier this month, it announced plans to give out $4 million worth of grants to fifty art organizations across the U.S.
Appointed director of the Met in 2018, Hollein also became the Met’s CEO in July of last year. Throughout his tenure at the museum, he has overseen more than 100 exhibitions and the launch of numerous capital projects, in addition to re-envisioning its educational and digital initiatives.
Before joining the Met, he was director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Hollein also previously simultaneously led the Schirn Kunsthalle, the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus in Frankfurt, Germany.
Gary Waterston joins Pace in a newly created role
An art gallery veteran will soon join Pace to take on the new role of vice president of global sales and operations. Gary Waterston, who has spent more than twenty years working in gallery management, will assume his position on Feb. 1 and will be based in London.
“Having stepped away from galleries, artists and exhibition making these past three years, I am beyond excited and thrilled to be joining Pace Gallery in such a transformative role,” said Waterston in a statement. He most recently worked with Atlantic Contemporary LLC, an art-focused financial services startup.
Waterston previously spent nearly two decades at Gagosian, where he oversaw the gallery’s various expansion projects while serving as a director in London. He became the gallery’s managing director in Europe in 2011, collaborating with Gagosian directors across Paris, Rome, Geneva, Athens and Basel.
He has organized exhibitions for the likes of Jeff Koons, Julian Schnabel and James Turrell, three of Pace’s most well-known artists. And in addition to working as a private advisor for several artists and foundations, Waterston has also collaborated on two major Picasso exhibitions organized by Sir John Richardson.
In his new role, Waterston will work directly with Pace’s CEO Marc Glimcher and president Samanthe Rubell as he manages numerous gallery departments. “With his guidance, we will continue to strengthen and grow our business–and our relationships with artists and collectors around the world,” said Rubell in a statement.
Marie-Anne McQuay to curate the 2025 Liverpool Biennial
The 13th edition of the Liverpool Biennial, the largest contemporary art festival in the U.K., will be curated by Marie-Anne McQuay. It is scheduled to take place between June 7 and Sept. 14 of next year.
“I feel honored to be curating the 13th edition of Liverpool Biennial with and for the city where I live,” said McQuay in a statement. “I am so looking forward to reflecting on civic life, researching international exchanges and collaborating with the wider team on Liverpool Biennial 2025.”
McQuay is currently the director of projects at Arts & Heritage, an English organization that works on collaborations between contemporary artists and heritage organizations and will return to her role following the festival’s completion. She previously was head of programs at Bluecoat, an arts center in Liverpool, and in 2019 was a guest curator of the Welsh Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale.
Formed in 1998, the Liverpool Biennial has presented work from more than 560 artists over the past few decades. McQuay will succeed Khanyisile Mbongwa, the Cape Town-based artist and sociologist who curated the 12th edition in 2023 with an emphasis on ancestral and indigenous knowledge.
Stephen Brooks resigns as CEO of Phillips
After leading Phillips for two and a half years, Stephen Brooks is stepping down as CEO.
Brooks, who first took on the role in 2021, came to Phillips after spending more than a decade at Christie’s, most recently as deputy chief executive. Throughout his tenure at Phillips, he oversaw the auction house through its highest annual sale totals in company history. Brooks’ leadership additionally saw an expansion into younger audiences. Around 50 percent of buyers in 2023 consisted of first-time buyers, one-third of whom represented Millennial and Gen Z collectors.
Brooks decided to step down “for personal reasons,” according to a statement from Phillips executive chairman Edward Dolman. “Stephen has led the company through a remarkable period of growth during his tenure and his contributions have helped to build the infrastructure for Phillips’ continued success,” he said.
In light of Brooks’ resignation, Phillips is restructuring its executive leadership team and creating a CEO’s office. Dolman, who previously served as CEO of Phillips between 2014 and 2021, will take on a new role combining the titles of both CEO and executive chairman.
Meanwhile, Amanda Lo Iacono will be appointed to the newly created position of deputy CEO. Joining Phillips in 2016, she has since 2022 been managing director for the 20th Century and contemporary art department and spearheaded the launch of Phillip’s Dropshop program. The auctioneer’s new leadership team will also see Cheyenne Westphal continue in her role as global chairwoman. “2024 presents Phillips with many opportunities to continue our expansion and, with the new leadership structure in place, we are well-placed to forge ahead,” said Dolman.
