After long search, new chief named
Max Weintraub to assume dual roles effective Nov. 9
On Monday, after a fivemonth search, the Allentown Art Museumannounced its new president and CEO. Max Weintraub, an art museum professional with more than 20 years of experience in both curatorial and educational aspects of museum operation, will take over Nov 9.
Weintraub replaces David Mickenberg, who resigned in February after serving as museum president for seven years.
As president and CEO, Weintraub will be responsible for the operation of the museum, including implementing its strategic plan; overseeing exhibitions, education and programming; building fundraising and donor capacity; and fostering community relationships.
Since January 2019, Weintraub has been senior curator at the Aspen Art Museumin Colorado, where he was responsible for the museum’s exhibition program. He’s also been director and chief curator of the art galleries at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. Weintraub’s experience includes eight years as a curator and professor of art history at Hunter College in New York, 10 years as a museum educa
tor at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, and seven years as a museum educator and film educator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
“I am delighted and humbled to join the Allentown Art Museum and to become a member of the Lehigh Valley community,” Weintraub said in a news release. “I amexcited about this opportunity to enhance the Museum’s mission as a vital resource for its diverse audiences. I believe in making art accessible and meaningful to all, and I will continue to advance these principals as the AAM grows.”
Weintraub’s hiring comes at a forward-looking time for the museum, which is planning a public unveiling of its recent reattributed Rembrandt work, “Portrait of a Young Woman.”
“It is clear that Allentown is on a positive trajectory with cultural and professional development,” Weintraub said. “The Allentown Art Museum is perfectly poised to help fuel that charge. Because weare perfectly situated between Philadelphia and New York, we can maximize connections
with artist communities that I have worked with for decades.
People want a dynamic, intimate, personal experience at a museum
— and our size and wonderful world-class collection is perfectly positioned to deliver that.”
Weintraub’s ties to the Philadelphia area stem from his education. He holds a doctorate and master’s degree in history of art with a focus on modern and contemporary art from Bryn Mawr College. His undergraduate degree in history was earned at Haverford College in 1993. He also has a master’s degree in medieval European history from North Carolina State University.
Michelle Stringer, chairperson of the museum’s board, said Weintraub has a collaborative approach and enthusiasm to complement his experience.
“Max’s style is very inclusive, collaborative, and poised,” she said. “He has demonstrated a strong ability to connect with different constituencies and engage with wide varieties of stakeholders, which is essential for a museum like ours that
plays so many essential roles in the community. We are confident he will be the type of leader who can inspire our team to greatness and move the entire Lehigh Valley arts scene forward.”
Stringer and Diane Scott, former superintendent of Allentown School District, served as consecutive interim executive directors during the museum’s five-month search.
The Allentown Art Museum reopened in August, after closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Current museum exhibits include “Evolution of the Spiritual: Europe to America,” “Collecting Across Cultures: Japanese Textiles in the West” and “Indian Sculpture: Avatars of the Hindu Gods.”