“It’s the right time to think about the future of the museum”Glenn Lowry explained to New York Times after announcing that he will leave the museum’s management in September 2025, in full agreement with the directors. Despite the director’s influential personality in New York’s cultural milieu, he cannot escape the retirement axe.
During his three-decade tenure, Lowry oversaw two major renovations of MoMA and its merger with the PS 1 Center for Contemporary Art in Long Island City. Under his leadership, the museum tripled its annual budget from $60 million to $190 million, while its endowment grew from $200 million to $1.7 billion. Lowry also worked to modernize the presentation of its collections, transforming MoMA into a space that reflects not only 20th-century art but also 21st-century art.
Glenn Lowry has also contributed to the modernization of conservation by opening acquisitions to new mediums such as performance. He has launched numerous initiatives to make the museum more accessible and democratic, including a fellowship program for emerging artists in partnership with the Studio Museum in Harlem in 2015.
While his tenure has not been without its challenges, with protests over the presence of board members like Leon Black, Lowry has defended the need for these debates, calling them “healthy” for the evolution of the institution.
