COURTESY GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s board of trustees has elected Wendy Fisher as president. Fisher succeeds Jennifer Blei Stockman, who stepped down after 12 years as president but will continue to serve as an advisor and emeritus trustee.
Fisher first joined the Guggenheim as an art and museum committee trustee in 2013. A trained clinical psychologist and artist, Fisher also sits on the boards of the Public Art Fund, the Tate International Council, MoMA PS1, the Council of the Serpentine Galleries, Performa, and New York’s Jewish Museum.
In a statement, Guggenheim director Richard Armstrong said of Fisher’s appointment, “At this important moment of transition for our institution, we are fortunate to have the wisdom, generosity, and passion of both Wendy and Jennifer as we continue to advance the Guggenheim’s distinctive program and mission.”
In the same statement, Fisher described the mission of the foundation—an umbrella organization comprising the Guggenheim’s global museum operations and other arts-espousing initiatives—as being in “deep alignment” with her values. “It has long been my belief,” Fisher said, “that art is a powerful tool for social cohesion: it brings people together, affords space for discussion and dialogue, excites the imagination, and facilitates exchange across socio-economic and cultural divides.”