Wadsworth Art Museum Hires New Director

HARTFORD, CT — The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art announced Thursday the selection of Matthew Hargraves, PhD to serve as its director.

The selection of Hargraves by the board of trustees, concluding an extensive seven-month national search process, completes the museum’s transition to a distributed leadership model first announced by the Board last November.

The roles of chief executive officer and director will be split into two separate positions, "enabling the institution to better seize opportunities in a changing museum environment, consistent with its evolutionary heritage," reads an announcement Thursday the museum.

“We were fortunate to have a robust field of well-qualified candidates. As the review process proceeded and multiple candidates were considered and extensively interviewed, it became increasingly apparent that Matthew Hargraves is precisely the right person to serve as Director of the Wadsworth,” said Wadsworth Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey N. Brown.

“He brings a depth and breadth of knowledge, commitment, innovation, passion, and scholarship that will contribute to advancing public access to the Wadsworth’s remarkable collections and heighten our connections to communities near and far.”

“I look forward to working alongside CEO Jeff Brown to lead the Wadsworth into the next phase of its dynamic future,” said Hargraves.

“With an extraordinarily committed and professional staff and an exceptional senior leadership team, we can reaffirm the Wadsworth’s rightful position as the leading arts institution in our region and reassert its international reputation as North America’s most pioneering art museum. There are nearly limitless possibilities, and I am excited by the chance to pursue and share them with diverse audiences.”

Hargraves has served as interim chief curator at the Wadsworth since June 2021.

Previously, he was chief curator of art collections at the Yale Center for British Art, 2014–2021, having served there as curator for collections research and head of collections information and access, 2012–2014, and in various roles since 2005.

Hargraves holds a PhD in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and a BA from the University of Warwick.

He specializes in British art of the 18th century.

In the Wadsworth’s new management structure, the director will report to CEO and will be responsible for the artistic direction of the museum, steering collection management, exhibitions and educational programming activities.

The CEO is responsible for the overall leadership, vision and strategic direction of the organization and its staff.

A Hartford area resident for the past 15 years, Hargraves has authored a variety of publications through the years.

Founded in 1842, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is home to a collection of nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years and encompassing European art from antiquity through contemporary as well as American art from the 1600s to today.

The Wadsworth Atheneum’s five connected buildings are located at 600 Main St. in Hartford.

For more information on the museum, tickets and exhibits, visit its website at thewadsworth.org.

For the full announcement of Hargraves' appointment, click on this link.