NEW YORK, NY.- Patrick Sears, Executive Director of the Rubin Museum of Art announced today that William Appleton will join the executive staff of the museum as Director of Education and Visitor Experience effective April 1. Previously the Assistant Director for Public Programs and Education at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Appleton comes to the Rubin with more than 20 years of experience and an innovative approach to programming that marries outstanding scholarship with public accessibility.

“William Appleton’s depth of knowledge and passion for the arts and education make him especially well-suited for this critical position,” said Sears. “He made a great contribution to the Saint Louis Art Museum, and I am confident that he will further expand the Rubin Museum’s ability to serve our broadening audience.”

During his 10-year tenure in St. Louis, Appleton led the implementation of numerous award-winning school, community, adult, and new technology initiatives. He was also responsible for cultivating and sustaining long-term support for the growth of the Museum’s education programming. Before relocating to St. Louis, Appleton was Director of Public Programs and Education at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. He held earlier positions at Milton Academy, Doubleday Publishing, Herbert Barrett Music Management, and the New York Philharmonic. During most of his earlier years in New York City, he also taught history and Latin on evenings and weekends at Prep for Prep, a leadership development and gifted education program.

He is active in the national arts community, serving on the Education Committee Board of the American Alliance of Museums as well as a number of visual and performing arts boards in St. Louis and New York.

He received BA and MA degrees in Classics, from Wesleyan and Brown Universities, respectively. In 2012, he was awarded a Kress Fellowship for Museum Education at the Clark Art Institute to explore the relationship of scholarship to the public understanding of art, and to develop new avenues and innovations in museum education.

The only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the arts of Himalayan Asia, the Rubin holds one of the world’s most important collections of paintings and sculptures of Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan. It opened its 70,000-square-foot home on 17th Street in 2004 and in 2012 opened an adjacent 5,000-square foot education center where it serves visitors of all ages with innovative programs that extend the gallery experience.

The Rubin Museum provides in-gallery resources and daily tours for visitors that offer multiple entry-points for understanding and enjoying the art of the Himalayas. Its outstanding educational programs include Pre-K-12; teen programs; college and university programs; art-making workshops for all ages; family programs; access programs for people with disabilities including monthly ASL Tours for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, Mindful Connections for people with dementia and their caregivers, and Verbal Description and Touch Tours for people who are blind or vision impaired.