Marcelle Polednik, the Donna and Donald Baumgartner director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, will step down from her role effective July 31, the museum announced on Wednesday.
Polednik has served as the MAM executive director since 2016. During Polednik’s time with the museum, more than 3,100 works of art have been added to the MAM’s permanent collection, and the museum has also grown its endowment and its base of philanthropic support, according to a news release from MAM.
“Leading the Milwaukee Art Museum has been an extraordinary honor, but I believe the time has come for new leadership to guide its next chapter,” Polednik said. “I’m immensely proud of what we’ve built over the past nine years, and confident that the museum is on a strong path forward — artistically, operationally and financially.”
The MAM will begin its search for Polednik’s successor. MAM board vice president and chair elect Andy Nunemaker will lead a committee to handle the global search, while Russell Reynolds Associates will lead the national search for the next executive director.
“Marcelle has driven a number of noteworthy accomplishments over her tenure, including navigating the challenges of the global pandemic, focusing our strategic agenda, and helping to prepare us for the next decade of artistic growth and innovation for our landmark institution,” said Jeff Yabuki, board chair of the MAM. “We are grateful to Marcelle for her leadership as we turn to building this next chapter of success for the museum.”
