SANTA FE, NM.- The Georgia OKeeffe Museum forges an exciting path for its future with the announcement of its new Director, Cody Hartley, PhD. He previously served as the Museums Director of Curatorial Affairs, its Senior Director of Collections and Interpretation, and, most recently, its Acting Director.
Hartley has been a respected and innovative senior member of staff at the OKeeffe since 2013, leading a division of departments that included curatorial, conservation, and education teams, as well as the library, archives, research center, and historic properties. In that time, Hartley supported numerous exhibitions, including a blockbuster international retrospective Georgia OKeeffe at the Tate Modern. He was the key architect behind the record-breaking sale of Georgia OKeeffes Jimson Weed for $44.4 million, the proceeds of which established an acquisitions endowment for the Museum. Hartley has also transformed the OKeeffes approach to digital literacy, expanding the team dedicated to innovative uses of technology.
Choosing Cody to be the Museums Director was a unanimous decision for our board members, says Roxanne Decyk, Chair of the OKeeffes Board of Trustees. It was important to us not just to have someone who is a strong leader in the cultural sector, but a person who really understands the heart of the OKeeffe. Cody brings the right mix of knowledge, skills, and creativity to ensure that the Museum remains relevant and vibrant for the next generations of New Mexicans and visitors. Decyk adds, Cody is a true visionary, and I know hes going to push the Museum in bold directions.
I am thrilled and honored to be the OKeeffes director, says Hartley. I feel lucky to work with such a dynamic, talented team, and to serve the communities of Santa Fe and Abiquiú. Georgia OKeeffes legacy touches many lives, and working to advance that is a dream come true.
Prior to settling in Santa Fe, Cody worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. At the MFA, he served as curator of American paintings during the installation of its Art of the Americas wing, and directed its Gifts of Art program. He was previously on the board of the Association of Art Museum Curators, as the Vice President of Finance, Fundraising and Audit. Hartley earned his MA and PhD in Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, following undergraduate study at the University of Wyoming.