Mariah R. Keller has been appointed as the interim director of the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Rahul Shrivastav announced today.
Keller joined the Eskenazi Museum of Art in 2016, first as editor and most recently as director of creative services, in which she oversees publishing, marketing and communications, graphic design, photography and museum technology. She also serves as a member of the museum’s senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and management of the operating budget.
During her tenure at the museum, Keller has managed a wide range of projects, including the transformation of the publishing program into an award-winning list of scholarly books; the launch of several digital tools, including the museum’s first portal to the collection; and institutional messaging, rebranding, and graphic identity following a major renovation of the museum’s iconic I.M. Pei building.
Before joining the Eskenazi Museum of Art, she oversaw an editing and consulting business that serviced museum and art publishing clients around the world. Keller has managed the publication of over 60 books and collaborated on content creation for over 45 exhibitions.
Previously, she served as head of publications and digital media at the Saint Louis Art Museum; senior editor at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution; editor at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; and program assistant in the Editor’s Office at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Keller received her bachelor’s degree in art history at Indiana University Bloomington.
As interim director, Keller will lead the museum’s academic research and teaching collaborations, day-to-day operations, and the execution of a robust exhibition program and acquisitions strategy. Keller’s appointment follows the upcoming departure of longtime director David A. Brenneman, who will become the new director and CEO of the Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia.
Keller’s interim appointment is effective Sept. 1.
The Eskenazi Museum, an I.M. Pei-designed architectural landmark, includes nearly 45,000 objects, making it one of the largest art holdings of any American university art museum.
A national search for the permanent director of the Eskenazi Museum of Art will be introduced in the coming weeks.
