Michael E. Shapiro set to leave the High Museum next summer
HMA Director says, ‘timing was right for the move.’
- Joeff Davis/CL File
- THE DIRECTOR: Michael Shapiro speaks to the press in 2013 during the uncrating of Go West! Art of the American Frontier from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
After nearly 15 years as the Nancy Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director at the High Museum of Art, Michael E. Shapiro is stepping down. Today the museum announced that Shapiro’s last day as director will be July 31, 2015.
“It has been a privilege to be at the helm of the High for the past 15 years, and to help shape the vision and future of Atlanta’s art museum,” Shapiro said via press release. “From leading the expansion and transformation of our campus in 2005 to developing groundbreaking collaborations, such as ‘Louvre Atlanta,’ the High has been transformed from a regional powerhouse into a nationally and internationally recognized institution. I am exceptionally grateful to be part of a team of such smart, committed individuals whose hard work and scholarship have contributed to the High’s success.”
Shapiro spent the last two decades with the High, having joined the leadership team in 1995, and later being appointed director in 2000. In Shapiro’s run, he helped the High raise nearly $230 million, including almost $20 million for acquisitions. Shapiro was also crucial in increasing the museum’s endowment, and making sure that each of the seven collecting departments have fully endowed curatorial positions.
The High’s Board of Directors will form a committee that will conduct a national and international search for Shapiro’s replacement. “All of us with the Woodruff Arts Center have benefited tremendously from what Michael has accomplished during his nearly two decades of leadership of the High,” said Virginia Hepner, president and chief executive officer of the Woodruff Art Arts Center.
After leaving his post, Shapiro plans to continue his work with the museum’s board, and his independent consulting focused on professional development, institutional collaborations, and best practices. In a letter posted on the museum’s website, Shapiro thanked the “Friends” of the High, loosely alluding to his reasons for the move. “As I near my 65th birthday and 20th anniversary at the Museum, I thought the timing was right for such a transition,” the letter states. “In my two decades as part of the High’s leadership team, I have witnessed this Museum go through a tremendous transformation and improvement — thanks in part to the dedication and support of members like you.”