Gamynne Guillotte; photo: Christopher Myers
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 26, 2023)—The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) today announced the appointment of Gamynne Guillotte as the Leanne and George Roberts Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer. The position is an integral part of SFMOMA’s leadership team and is responsible for anchoring the institution’s efforts to connect with a wide range of audiences through educational and public programs, in-gallery experiences, community partnerships and off-site collaborations. Guillotte brings two decades of experience working at the intersections of art, the built environment and public engagement, developing projects grounded in research and listening that address the changing needs of artists and the public. She joins SFMOMA from the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), where she most recently held the position of Chief Education Officer. She will begin her new role on June 26, 2023.
Guillotte’s appointment follows the February announcement of Sheila Shin’s promotion to the newly created position of Chief Experience Officer. Together, these appointments reflect SFMOMA’s commitment to a community-focused vision of welcome and hospitality, shaped under the directorship of Christopher Bedford. As SFMOMA emerges from the challenges of the pandemic, it is placing significant emphasis on creating new opportunities to partner with community organizations, increasing access to free arts experiences at the museum and establishing spaces for gathering and socializing. In her new role, Guillotte will play a critical part in conceptualizing and realizing this vision.
“Our work at SFMOMA is guided by a focus on hospitality, establishing a true sense of welcome from the inside out. This requires new thinking and experimentation in exhibition and program development and in how we encourage participation among different audiences, both those new and returning to the museum,” said Christopher Bedford, Helen and Charles Schwab Director of SFMOMA. “Gamynne’s extensive experience and long history of developing projects that center a wide range of communities will be invaluable as we chart this new trajectory. She brings great passion, ingenuity, and a belief in the profound impact that art can have on people of varying ages, experiences, and backgrounds. I look forward to welcoming her to the team at SFMOMA.”
“As a third-generation Californian, I am invested in the future of my home state, particularly as it pertains to livable cities. I strongly believe that cultural institutions can and must play a key role in civic life,” said Guillotte. “SFMOMA is an important part of the San Francisco arts ecology and in this new chapter, it has an opportunity to act as a convenor of innovative and inclusive engagements with artists and audiences from across the Bay Area and beyond. I look forward to joining the team in June and to creating new paths to deepen the museum’s connection and relevance to the many people it has the potential to engage.”
ABOUT GAMYNNE GUILLOTTE
Guillotte has a background in architectural design, focusing on how people relate to their environments—experience that has been core to her museum career. Most recently, from 2018 to 2023, she held the position of Chief Education Officer at the BMA, where she was responsible for the strategy and realization of interpretive projects, educational resources, public programs and community engagement. During this time, among her numerous projects, she oversaw the conceptualization and realization of the BMA’s first satellite location since the 1970s at Lexington Market, which offers drop-in art making, exhibitions and a robust suite of public programs. She was responsible for creating the BMA Screening Room and Salon, two digital platforms that provided artists with the means to circulate their work during the pandemic, as well as a prominent lecture series that engaged such notable speakers as Mark Bradford, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tarana Burke and Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Guillotte has held several other positions at the BMA, including Interim Co-Director of Education and Interpretation (2015 to 2018); Director of Interpretation and Public Engagement (2013 to 2015); and Manager of Interpretation (2012 to 2013). Prior to her tenure at the BMA, from 2006 to 2012, she was a designer and project manager at Narduli Studio in Los Angeles, an interdisciplinary design studio with commissions in public art and architecture. Previously, she oversaw education and public program initiatives at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House in Los Angeles.
Guillotte currently serves on the Affiliates Board for the Program in Museums and Society at Johns Hopkins University, the Executive Committee of the Association for Art Museum Interpretation (AAMI) and is a project contributor to the Museums as a Site for Social Action (MASS Action) initiative. She is also a frequent guest lecturer and reviewer. Guillotte holds an M.Arch. from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and a B.A. with a concentration in Art History and Architectural History from Sarah Lawrence College.
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The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. Our remarkable collection of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design and media arts is housed in a LEED Gold-certified building designed by the global architects Snøhetta and Mario Botta. In addition to our seven gallery floors, SFMOMA currently offers more than 62,000 square feet of free, art-filled public space open to all.
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Media Contacts
Clara Hatcher Baruth, chatcher@sfmoma.org, 415.357.4177
Alina E. Sumajin, alina@paveconsult.com, 646.369.2050