Lisa Phillips will retire as director of the New Museum, New York, in April 2026 after 26 years in the role, the institution has announced.
In 1999, following 20 years as a curator at the Whitney Museum, Phillips was appointed as the New Museum’s second ever director. During her tenure she oversaw over 200 exhibitions; introduced several experimental initiatives such as the Museum as Hub space and model for institutional collaboration, IdeasCity Festival and the cultural incubator NEW INC; and initiated two major building projects, including the development of the museum’s current building in 2007 and the ongoing construction of the museum’s expansion, scheduled to open this autumn.
After stepping down, she will become director emeritus.
Speaking about her departure, Lisa Phillips said ‘It has been a tremendous honor to lead the New Museum for two and a half decades, working closely with a truly exemplary Board and Board President, an extraordinary staff, and exceptional curators—all committed to opening minds to new futures. I am immensely proud of all the work we have accomplished together… The reopening of this expanded campus presents the ideal moment to pass the baton to a new generation of leaders who will guide the institution into its next chapter.’
The New Museum will start an international search for Phillips’s successor this month.
