Erik H. Neil, PhD

Erik H. Neil joined the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2014. As Director, he reaffirms the strong community focus of the institution and revitalized the exhibition program. His commitment to engaging the Museum’s talented staff has resulted in several exhibitions, including Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles and the Conflict of Ideals, Alma W. Thomas: A Creative Life, Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm, and Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism. Each exhibition traveled to numerous institutions, included a catalog with new scholarship, and raised the Chrysler Museum’s profile across the country and around the world. Neil constantly works to bring greater diversity to the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, staff, and Board of Trustees.

Neil has led museums for more than two decades. Earlier in his career, he was an active curator and worked with many notable artists, including James Turrell, Carrie Mae Weems, and Tony Oursler. He has also published books and essays in History of Architecture, the History of Photography, and Contemporary Art. He holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton and Harvard Universities and has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships from institutions such as the Getty Leadership Institute, the Mellon Foundation, Dumbarton Oaks and the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Neil has previously served on several American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation panels, as a grant review for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. He currently serves on the Art Museum Directors Board of Trustees.

Neil’s breadth of artistic interests, collaborative approach to work and leadership, and ability to build community have cemented the Chrysler Museum as a forerunner in the museum world.