NEW YORK, NY.- The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) today announced that Janet Landay has been appointed to serve as the Executive Director of the AAMD effective February 23, 2009. She succeeds Millicent H. Gaudieri, who served as AAMD’s Executive Director and administrative leader for 35 years. With a career that began in museum education at the Brooklyn Museum and evolved to encompass exhibition development, fundraising, and arts education and advocacy, Landay brings to AAMD a deep understanding of the mission of art museums, and a broad set of skills for leading the nation’s largest art museum membership organization.

“We are very pleased that Janet Landay will be serving as Executive Director of AAMD,” said Michael Conforti, president of the AAMD and director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. “Over the course of her career she has shown both a tremendous passion for, and keen understanding of, the service to the public that is at the heart of all art museums’ activities. We also want to recognize the exceptional tenure of Mimi Gaudieri, under whose leadership AAMD became an active voice in the national dialogue on cultural issues. We know that Janet will play an integral role in continuing this process, supporting AAMD and its member museums in enhancing the cultural life of the nation.”

Landay has a B.A. in Civilizational Studies from the University of Chicago, and an M.A. in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. From 1990 to 2003, she worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she served as the Curator of Exhibitions and Assistant to the Director. In these roles, Landay helped the MFAH implement a range of new programs and initiatives for the institution and its community—such as supporting the creation of the Houston Museum District Association and writing a comprehensive guide to the Museum’s collection—as well as organizing a number of international exhibition programs. While in Houston, Landay worked on several city and statewide lobbying campaigns to increase government funding of the arts, and served on the board of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County.

Landay comes to AAMD from the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, where she has been a development associate since 2008. Prior to the Zimmerli, Landay was the Director of Exhibitions and Programs at the American Federation of Arts, where she managed the curatorial, education, and publications staff in the production of all AFA programs and services. Earlier employment experiences include: Exhibitions Director, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1986-1990); Associate Curator and other curatorial positions, Department of Education, Detroit Institute of Arts (1980-1985); and Coordinator of Research and Evaluation, Department of Education, The Brooklyn Museum (1977-1978).