October 18, 2023

Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin to retire in 2024 after 25 years of visionary leadership

Ann Philbin, who over nearly 25 years helped transform the Hammer Museum at UCLA into one of the city’s landmark institutions and a leading museum of contemporary art for the nation and the world, will retire as the Hammer’s director on Nov. 1, 2024, Marcy Carsey, chair of the museum’s board of directors announced today.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the Hammer Museum for more than two decades, working closely with our supremely dedicated boards and brilliant staff to make this institution everything that Los Angeles and our wider community deserves,” Philbin said. “We have always said that the artists of Los Angeles are our core audience — and I think that in the way we have innovated in our programs and transformed our facilities, we have created a true ‘artists’ museum’ for them.

Philbin, who expressed her gratitude to the Hammer’s visitors and the many artists and collaborators she has worked with over the years, will continue to lead the museum for the next 12 months, culminating with the fall 2024 exhibition “Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice,” part of the Getty-funded initiative PST ART: Art and Science Collide. A search for her successor, led by the museum’s board, will begin early in 2024.

“Engagement with the arts is central to the UCLA experience, and Annie has done an incredible job of embedding the Hammer and its offerings more deeply within the fabric of our university,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “Beyond this, she has built for Los Angeles a true cultural gem that is accessible and inclusive, and whose exhibitions stand out for their remarkable quality and relevance.”