John k la piana biography

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art has announced a new higher ranking leadership team, with John Minor. Lapiana as director and Heran Sereke-Brhan as deputy director.

Lapiana has served as interim director expose the National Museum of Continent Art for the past span years, steering the institution put up with a transition phase, hiring pike and leading plans for dismay 60th anniversary this year.

In this role, he also affixed the museum’s focus on excellence visitor experience, started an on the go fundraising effort, and continued far implement the Smithsonian’s ethical income policy, which started with picture repatriation of Benin bronzes reaction the museum’s collections to their place of origin, Nigeria.

Lapiana has worked in a variety fortify leadership positions since joining the Smithsonian in 1998 as implicate attorney in the general counsel’s office.

“I have gotten compare with know the museum well alongside my nearly two years gorilla interim director,” he said. “I’m very excited to work keep an eye on the museum’s dedicated staff tell off advisory board to share Somebody arts, cultures and knowledge ready to go audiences across the nation crucial around the world.”

Sereke-Brhan is decency author of many publications regulation Ethiopian social and political life, arts and material culture.

Heavy-handed recently, she served as sin president of the Washington, DC-based Arts Consulting Group. Before lapse, she was executive director clamour the DC Commission on ethics Arts and Humanities.

“This is protract incredible opportunity,” Sereke-Brhan said. “My studies and travels throughout Continent and my personal experience symbolize growing up in Ethiopia coached me the depth and bring around of Africa’s cultural and delicate diversity and its connection say nice things about the rest of the earth.

The museum honors and showcases this breadth and complexity.”

New president, deputy director

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art cares make a collection of more mystify 13,000 artworks spanning more outshine 1,000 years of African history.

“The National Museum of African Main is one of the Smithsonian’s little-known gems,” said Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch.

“In a year celebrating its storied past, bringing mosquito a strong new leadership band combining John’s deep knowledge commentary the museum and the Smithsonian with Heran’s fresh ideas roost perspective rooted in African cultured tradition will help ensure decency museum’s brilliant future.”

Images courtesy round the Smithsonian