Madeleine Grynsztejn | |
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| Occupation(s) | Pritzker Director,Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago |
Madeleine Grynsztejn (born 1962) is the Pritzker Director of theMuseum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Grynsztejn became director in 2008.[1]
Grynsztejn was born inLima, Peru, and raised inCaracas, Venezuela, andLondon, England. She studied at theSorbonne in Paris and received her BA in art history and French from Newcomb College ofTulane University. She received her MA in art history fromColumbia University. Grynsztejn is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. Her husband, Tom Shapiro, is a strategicconsultant tonon-profits.
A former Helena Rubenstein Fellow at theWhitney Museum of American Art, Grynsztejn has been a lecturer, interviewee, moderator, and panelist on film, TV, radio, Web, and other public forums on art-related topics. She is a 2007 graduate of theGetty Foundation’s Museum Leadership Institute[2] and a member of theAssociation of Art Museum Directors (AAMD),[3] the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM),[4] and theCommercial Club of Chicago,[5] among others.
In 2009, Grynsztejn co-organized the first U.S.retrospective of the work of renowned contemporary painterLuc Tuymans. She was the Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture at theSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for seven years, where she curated the critically acclaimed traveling exhibitionsTake your time:Olafur Eliasson (2007) andThe Art ofRichard Tuttle (2005), which received a 2006 “Best U.S. Monographic Museum Show” award from the Association of International Art Critics.[6] Prior to SFMOMA, Grynsztejn was curator of contemporary art at theCarnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (1997–2000). She curated the 1999Carnegie International, a globally focused quadrennial exhibition, and exhibitions of individual artists includingWilliam Kentridge,Kiki Smith,Diana Thater, andJames Welling.[7] Grynsztejn was associate curator (1992–96) and acting department head of 20th-century painting and sculpture at theArt Institute of Chicago where she curatedAffinities:Chuck Close andTom Friedman (1996) andAbout Place: Recent Art of the Americas (1995).[8]
Grynsztejn began her curatorial career at theMuseum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (1986–1992).[9] She worked as associate curator and specialized in commissioning new projects with artists includingAlfredo Jaar,Jeff Wall, andKrzysztof Wodiczko. She co-organizedDos Ciudades/Two Cities, a series of exhibitions, publications, and projects located in San Diego andTijuana, Mexico, tied to the theme of the US/Mexico border.
In 2013, Grynsztejn was selected as Commissioner of the Chilean Pavilion, represented by artistAlfredo Jaar, for theVenice Biennale.
In 2017, as part of an $82M campaign leading to the MCA’s 50th anniversary, Grynsztejn spearheaded a redesign of the MCA’s free public spaces, launching a new museum restaurant, Marisol, as well as an innovative social engagement space, the Commons.[10] She guided the project team of Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee ofJohnston Marklee; Turner Prize-winning artistChris Ofili who created an immersive environment for Marisol; Mexican design duo Pedro y Juana who designed the Commons at the physical heart of the museum; and Chicago chef Jason Hammel who garnered Marisol consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards.[11]
Grynsztejn is former President of theAssociation of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) where she continues to serve on the nominating committee and is a member of theInternational Council of Museums (ICOM) and former member of the board of governance of CIMAM, the International Committee of Museums and Collections of Modern Art.
At each of the museums in which she has worked, Grynsztejn was responsible for all areas of the permanent collection of contemporary art including its growth, presentation, and interpretation. She has ledacquisition programs to augment each museum’s collection with key acquisitions including works byVija Celmins,Chuck Close,Olafur Eliasson,Dan Flavin,Robert Gober,Ann Hamilton,William Kentridge,Kerry James Marshall,Gordon Matta-Clark,Allan McCollum,Julie Mehretu,Chris Ofili,Edward Ruscha,Doris Salcedo,Kiki Smith,Robert Smithson,Richard Tuttle,Luc Tuymans,Bill Viola,Kara Walker, andRachel Whiteread.[1]
In 2022, Grynsztejn worked with New York'sGuggenheim Museum to acquire asizeable donation from renowned entrepreneur and art collectorDimitris Daskalopoulos. The donation is shared between the MCA and the Guggenheim Museum.
As director of the MCA, Grynsztejn’s vision is to make the museum an “artist-activated, audience-engaged space where art, ideas, community, and conversation dynamically occur.”[12] Grynsztejn has been working to redefine the MCA’s vision since her appointment in 2008: “Much of her time over the last two-and-a-half years has been spent re-centering the MCA’s mission on the creative process and audience participation.”[13] In June 2011, theChicago Tribune reported that Grynsztejn andMichael Darling, former James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator, were overseeing the redefining of the MCA vision with the ultimate goal of clarity.[14]
Grynsztejn is currently leading and fundraising for theMCA Next Strategic Plan which is guided by three core Principles: Champion Revelatory Art; Spark Social Belonging; and Achieve Sustainable and Purpose-Driven Operations. Grynsztejn seeks to secure the museum’s next chapter through increased endowment support of groundbreaking programs; the institution-wide implementation of Spanish/English operations; a digital transformation of the museum’s online presence on par with onsite experiences; and the promise of a new art storage facility.[15]
Grynsztejn has also been featured inTown & Country for her commitment to redefining the MCA’s vision.[16]
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