MADELEINE GRYNSZTEJN
Director of The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
The director of The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is at the forefront of a movement to make museums more welcoming, accessible, and reflective of the communities they serve—DEI backlash be damned.
WHAT IS YOUR TRADEMARK? I’m a museum leader of integrity, determination, and hope; an advocate for artists; and a friend and mentor to fellow women museum leaders.
WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE? I’m going to cheat and name two. Nick Cave’s newsletter, The Red Hand Files, got me through Covid and has since become my Monday morning hymnal. His words have a way of cutting through the noise. And always, my community of artist friends—forged throughout my curatorial career but especially when I organized the 1999/2000 Carnegie International—continues to guide me. Artists are my true north.
“"Museums can no longer simply reflect the world; they must actively bring together diverse voices, foster understanding, and push against divisiveness."”
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? More power in artists’ hands. The Artist-Museum Partnership Act, a proposed piece of legislation, would return to artists the right to take a full charitable tax deduction when donating their work to museums. This would change the entire art ecosystem—and our world—for the better. When artists drive what is seen in museums, art becomes more varied, accessible, and available in more places. I’ve advocated for this on Capitol Hill because until it changes, the public’s ability to see, be inspired by, and learn from the best artists of our time remains compromised.
IF YOU COULD ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO A SINGLE QUALITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? My itinerant, multilingual background across Latin American, Europe, and the United States cultivated in me an insatiable hunger for and delight in learning something new every day. That curiosity fuels my work in museums, where the ability to listen, learn, and bridge perspectives is essential. Museums can no longer simply reflect the world; they must actively bring together diverse voices, foster understanding, and push against divisiveness.
WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? The current state of the world and its impact on artists and communities is undeniable. However, at the MCA Chicago, we don’t flinch.
in your life?
