The Board of Trustees of The Frick Collection announced the appointment of leading museum director Axel Rüger as the museum’s next Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director. He will start in the position in the spring of 2025.
Rüger will join the Frick after guiding the acclaimed Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Throughout his career as a two-time museum director, he has been recognized as an accomplished arts leader and visionary, with distinct expertise in developing audiences, engaging stakeholders, fundraising, building institutional brands, and producing critically acclaimed exhibitions.
Born in 1968 in Dortmund, Germany, Rüger studied Art History at the Freie Universität in Berlin (Germany), the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada). He held internships in various museums in Atlanta, Detroit and Washington D.C. before he was appointed Curator of Dutch Paintings 1600-1800 at the National Gallery in London in 1999.
“On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome Axel to The Frick Collection,” said Board Chair Elizabeth M. Eveillard. “Axel is a rare museum director who embodies a complex set of skills, all of which are of great importance, particularly at this pivotal moment for cultural organizations. As an established museum director, he brings steady, strategic insight, as well as a proven ability to inspire and guide dynamic teams to great achievement. A brilliant mind in the field, he also holds a highly relevant curatorial background. As we prepare to embark on a new era for the Frick, I am confident in his ability to steer us well. I extend my deepest gratitude to Ian Wardropper for his steady leadership of our organization. Ian’s vision and tireless work serve as our foundation as we move forward. I also thank the Search Committee for their support and assistance in this process.”
“The Frick is a uniquely special place, and there is not another museum in the world quite like it,” said Rüger. “Since the early 1990s, I have always made a point to visit and admire the museum any time I was in New York City. Leading the Frick—with its spectacular collection of stunning masterpieces, rich history of exhibitions, intimate residential setting, library, and location in such an exciting city—is an irresistible proposition, particularly at this milestone moment. Following the largest renovation in the institution’s history, it’s an exciting time to re-open, develop exciting programs for loyal visitors, and welcome new audiences who have not yet discovered this treasure trove of a museum.”
Rüger’s appointment concludes an extensive, global search for the Frick’s new director, which began in spring 2024 after the announced retirement of Ian Wardropper. During fourteen years at the Frick, Wardropper led the museum and research library through a period of growth, which included the first comprehensive renovation and upgrade of the Frick’s historic buildings in nearly ninety years, an acclaimed series of exhibitions, and a focused acquisitions program that enhanced the institution’s art and library collections. After a temporary relocation to the Frick Madison, the Frick will reopen its historic buildings at 1 East 70th Street in early 2025.
