Frick Appoints Axel RÜger Its Next Director

The Frick Collectionhas announced Axel Rüger as its next director. Rüger, since 2019 the secretary and chief executive of London’s Royal Academy of Arts, will start his new role early next year, as the New York institution reopens in its freshly renovated home. He will have the task of filling the large shoes of the Frick’s longtime leader Ian Wardropper, who isset to retirein 2025, after a tenure capped by the $195 million renovation of the Gilded Age mansion in which the collection resides. While work on the structure was under way, Wardropper drew new attention to industrialist Henry Clay Frick’s trove of old master paintings and European fine and decorative art by exhibiting them in the stark confines of the Breuer Building, the former home of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

“The Frick is a uniquely special place, and there is not another museum in the world quite like it,” said Rüger in a statement. “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.”

While at the Royal Academy, Rüger shepherded the £23 million ($30.5 million) redevelopment of the institution’s schools and organized a 2024 retrospective of the work of British artist Michael Craig-Martin and the 2023 group show “Souls Grown Deep Like the Rivers: Black Artists from the American South,” both of which were widely lauded. Prior to his arrival at the Royal Academy, he led the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. He earlier worked as a curator at the National Gallery in London, where he had care of the museum’s seventeenth and eighteenth-century Dutch paintings.

“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,” said Frick board chair Elizabeth M. Eveillard in a statement. “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.”