After a notable career in the cultural field, notably a stint at the National Center for Plastic Arts (CNAP), Richard Lagrange, aged 72, died of cardiac arrest on October 9, 2025 while he was president of the Maison des arts Georges et Claude Pompidou (MAGCP) in Cajarc, in the Lot.
Born in 1953 in Paris, he began studying law before graduating from the National School of Administration (ENA) in 1989. He had previously joined the Ministry of Culture as a central administration attaché, within the legal affairs and intellectual property department, between 1981 and 1983. He worked as a civil administrator between 1989 and 1993 for local authorities, then in 1993 to 1997 at the Delegation to territorial planning and regional action.
Richard Lagrange at the Maison des arts Georges & Claude Pompidou.
© Maison des arts / Franck Alix
He then returned to Culture while maintaining a strong link with the territory, becoming regional director of cultural affairs within the DRAC Champagne-Ardenne, Midi-Pyrénées, Rhône-Alpes and Nord-Pas-de-Calais between 1997 and 2006. His expertise and skills attracted the attention of the Minister of Culture at the time, Christine Albanel, who appointed him advisor in charge of creation and territorial action in 2007, position he holds until 2008, before taking over the management of the CNAP, where he will remain until 2014.
In 2015, he was appointed inspector of cultural affairs and participated in several major missions, including the reorganization of the DRAC as part of the redistribution of regions. At the same time, from 2020, he became vice-president of the MAGCP, before taking over its presidency. The art center team emphasizes that he was very attentive to projects and internal difficulties.
