Armstrong is leaving after 14 years at the institution
Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, has revealed that he will be stepping down from his post in early 2023. In a statement, he said: ‘I look forward to watching the Guggenheim community continue to flourish and be a catalyst for inventive thinking and transformative art experiences long after my departure.’
Armstrong has headed up the Guggenheim – the foundation and constellation of museums – since 2008. He moved from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, taking over from Thomas Krens. Notable exhibitions under Armstrong’s tenure included On Kawara—Silence; Agnes Martin; Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World; and Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future.
With Armstrong at the helm, the Guggenheim’s critics have shifted across the years. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project – which Armstrong inherited – remains under construction, and received allegations of labour violations; in recent years, criticism from the institution’s own staff has been directed at the museum leadership’s role in fostering an allegedly discriminatory workplace.
J. Tomilson Hill, the Guggenheim board chair, commented on Armstrong’s departure: ‘Richard’s commitment to artists, their practices and strong exhibition programming will be a lasting
legacy for his tenure and has laid a strong foundation for his successor to build on.’
