Glenn D. Lowry

Glenn D. Lowry is a distinguished American art historian and museum director, best known for his transformative leadership as the David Rockefeller Director of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, a position he has held since 1995. Under his nearly three‑decade tenure, Lowry has guided MoMA through major expansions and renovations, significantly enhancing its physical campus, curatorial vision, and global influence in modern and contemporary art. He has overseen two major building campaigns that more than doubled the Museum’s gallery space, quintupled its endowment, expanded its collection across all media, and increased MoMA’s outreach through digital platforms and educational initiatives.

Lowry championed innovation in museum practice and scholarship, launching groundbreaking programs such as the Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives (C‑MAP) research initiative and the merger with P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (now MoMA PS1). He has expanded MoMA’s curatorial departments, strengthened acquisitions of contemporary art, and supported a generation of artists shaping current artistic discourse.

An articulate advocate for the public role of museums, Lowry has lectured and written extensively on the challenges facing cultural institutions, the evolution of artistic practice, and the societal importance of art. He serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the Clark Art Institute, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture steering committee, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a resident member of the American Philosophical Society.

Born in 1954 in New York City and raised in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Lowry earned a B.A. magna cum laude from Williams College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in the history of art from Harvard University. He holds honorary degrees from several institutions and has been honored internationally, including by the French government with the title Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He is married with three children.

In 2024, Lowry announced his intention to retire in 2025, concluding one of the longest and most influential directorships in the Museum’s history.