MONTEREY, CA.- The Monterey Museum of Art announced the appointment of Mr. Stuart A. Chase as its Executive Director. Chase officially assumed the role on April 24, 2017.

"Stuart is a proven leader with more than thirty years of museum experience," said MMA Board President Ronda Eubanks. “Most recently serving as President & CEO of HistoryMiami Museum, Stuart’s executive leadership and vision for the future are a perfect fit for the Monterey Museum of Art. We are confident the Monterey Peninsula community will join us in welcoming Stuart.”

As President & CEO of HistoryMiami Museum, Mr. Chase led development of programs and exhibitions for expanded facilities to serve the public, including 135% growth of additional museum space. As Executive Director of the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA, he focused on community partnerships by engaging area cultural organizations, and led a $10.3M capital campaign for physical improvements. At the Rockwell Museum of Western Art in Corning, NY, he managed a $10M capital improvement campaign of the historic museum building, and led acquisitions of major contemporary regional artworks. Additionally, Mr. Chase has served the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, TX; Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, NY; and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA and was CEO of 1Berkshire.

Mr. Chase participated and completed M.A. coursework in Arts Administration at Long Island University in Brookville, NY and received a B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He was a Bohlen Scholar at Attingham Summer School in England, and attended the Summer Institute in Management of Non-Profit Institutions at New York University.

Chase noted he will be “focused on engaging audiences with the visual arts of California and in particular the Monterey Peninsula. The Monterey Museum of Art holds a fine reputation in the museum field. I am delighted to lead the museum into the next phase of growth, and showcase this unique American art community. The Peninsula is a beautiful region, with a strong local identity – a heritage of creative people located far enough from urban centers but close enough to nature for lively intellectual exchange.”

The Monterey Museum of Art expands a passion for the visual arts and inspires appreciation of California Art—past, present, and future. The Museum recently hosted Edward Weston: Portrait of the Young Man as an Artist as the opening venue, and will debut Who Shot Monterey Pop! Photographs from the 1967 Music Festival on June 2, 2017.