Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director
Milwaukee Art Museum | Milwaukee
Marcelle Polednik has served as the Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum since 2016. Under her leadership, the museum introduced a new strategic direction in 2020 that prioritizes strengthening its connection to the community. Polednik has put an emphasis on original scholarship and activation of the museum’s collection while also leading efforts to broaden its reach and impact in Milwaukee. Polednik, who holds a Ph.D. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, is active in art historical scholarship. In 2019, she curated “Nares: Moves,” the first retrospective of the contemporary artist. Prior to joining the Milwaukee Art Museum, Polednik was the director and chief curator at MOCA Jacksonville. Previously, she was the chief curator at the Monterey Museum of Art and an assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Southern California; master’s and doctorate, New York University
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Hospitality | Tourism
Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director
Milwaukee Art Museum | Milwaukee
Marcelle Polednik was named the inaugural Donna and Donald Baumgartner director of the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2016. Previously, Polednik was director and chief curator at MOCA Jacksonville, the chief curator at the Monterey Museum of Art and an assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Since joining MAM, she’s credited with refocusing the organization’s artistic program on original scholarship and activation of its collection and has led efforts to broaden the reach of MAM’s art in the community.
Under Polednik’s leadership, the museum unveiled a strategic direction in 2020 to guide its work into the future. Its four pillars include relevance to the community, robust community programming, expansive hospitality and impact aligned with financial strength and discipline. Having been forced to close its doors for periods of time throughout the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Polednik is now leading the organization as it rebounds from those setbacks. In 2021, the museum launched its “Lakeside at MAM” summer programming, which returned for a second year in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, the museum had nearly 322,000 visitors
Outside of the MAM, Polednik curated Nares: Moves, the first retrospective of British contemporary artist Nares, in 2019.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Southern California; master’s and Ph.D. in Art History, Institute of Fine Arts at New York University
