SAN ANTONIO, TX.- The McNay Art Museum announces the appointment of Elizabeth Kathleen Mitchell, Ph.D., as head of curatorial affairs, effective Feb. 16. Mitchell joined the McNay in 2025 as the curator of prints and drawings and will continue in that role. The dual appointment reflects both her scholarly expertise and her institution-wide leadership.

As head of curatorial affairs, Mitchell will oversee the McNay’s curatorial departments, guiding long-term exhibition planning, collection development, acquisitions strategy and cross-departmental collaboration. In her current role as curator of prints and drawings, she focuses on expanding access to the collection, advancing thoughtful acquisitions and developing exhibitions and programs that connect works on paper to broader art-historical and contemporary conversations. Her expanded role underscores the McNay’s commitment to rigorous scholarship, ambitious exhibitions and curatorial practices that place audience engagement and institutional stewardship at the center of its mission.

“Elizabeth Kathleen Mitchell is a respected scholar and a perceptive institutional leader,” said Matthew McLendon, Ph.D., director and CEO of the McNay Art Museum. “She brings intellectual clarity, collaborative generosity and a strong curatorial point of view to everything she does. As head of curatorial affairs and curator of prints and drawings, she will help shape the next chapter of the McNay’s exhibitions, collections and curatorial culture while building on the museum’s longstanding strengths.”

Mitchell holds a Ph.D. in 18th-century British prints from the University of California, Santa Barbara; an M.A. in 19th-century British painting from the University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona); and B.A. degrees in Spanish and liberal arts from the University of Wyoming (Laramie, Wyoming).

Prior to joining the McNay, Mitchell held a series of senior leadership and curatorial roles at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, including interim co-director, Burton and Deedee McMurtry curator of drawings, prints and photographs; acting head of academic and public programs; and director of the curatorial fellowship program. Earlier in her career, she served as assistant curator in the department of prints, drawings and photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She has also taught at Stanford University; the Massachusetts College of Art and Design; and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“The McNay has an extraordinary curatorial team and a collection of remarkable depth,” said Mitchell. “I am honored to step into this role and to work alongside my colleagues to build thoughtful exhibition arcs, deepen our collections and create meaningful encounters with art that resonate with our community and with audiences well beyond San Antonio.”