Erik H. Neil, PhD

Erik Neil joined the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2014. As Director, he has revitalized the Museum’s exhibitions and programs while reaffirming its strong community focus. Most recently, Neil led the Museum through a successful $55 million capital campaign, which included a major expansion of the Perry Glass Studio, the creation of the Goode Works on Paper Center, as well as several new endowments. His commitment to engaging the Museum’s talented staff has resulted in several exhibitions, including Alma W. Thomas, Everything is Beautiful; Americans in Spain; Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club; and Oaxaca Central: Contemporary Mexican Printmaking. The exhibitions traveled to numerous institutions, included a catalog with new scholarship, and raised the Chrysler Museum’s profile across the country and around the world. He continues to work to bring greater diversity to the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, staff, and Board of Trustees.

Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Erik earned his BA in History from Princeton University and his MA and PhD in Art History from Harvard University. Early in his career, he was an active curator, working closely with contemporary artists such as James Turrell, Carrie Mae Weems, Tony Oursler, and Jacqueline Humphries, among others. He 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 also served on several American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation panels and as a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. A former Board Member of the Association of Art Museum Director, he now serves on their membership committee.

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.