NEW ORLEANS – On October 1, 2018, Christopher Wayner joined the Ogden Museum of Southern Art as Deputy Director. As Deputy Director, Wayner will oversee and support the Museum’s team and play a primary role in implementing a strategic plan that is projected to span the next ten years. Wayner most recently served as Director of Exhibitions and Program Alignment at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), and brings with him an impressive professional background in museums, with specific experience in the management of exhibitions, programming, special projects and strategic growth.
As Director of Exhibitions and Program Alignment at BMA, Wayner supervised a team of 20 inter-departmental staff members and was responsible for the administration of institutional programming at large. Wayner also led the planning, implementation and financial management of the BMA’s exhibitions and contingent programming on site, as well as its touring and satellite exhibition initiatives, which reached national and international venues and audiences. Under his oversight, the exhibition schedule and related projects grew exponentially, making the BMA one of the country’s most dynamic institutions.
Additionally, throughout his tenure at BMA, Wayner organized partnerships with SFMOMA, the Met, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Smithsonian Institution and others. He has worked extensively with living artists and their representative galleries on an array of commissions and special projects.
Wayner holds an MA in the history of art and archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU and received his BA in art history from Syracuse University. Before entering the museum world, Wayner worked in commercial galleries in New York City and Washington, D.C. He started his museum career at the Phillips Collection in Washington and went on to work at the Smithsonian Institution, first at the Freer & Sackler Galleries and then at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He has provided strategic support for a series of special projects during his time at BMA, including the execution and oversight of the 2017 Venice Biennale US Pavilion installation of Mark Bradford.
“We are very excited to have Chris Wayner fill this leadership position,” says William Andrews, Executive Director of Ogden Museum. “Chris is a highly regarded professional who approaches the industry with great passion and sophistication. He brings a wealth of knowledge in program planning and administration, along with tremendous experience with strategic partnerships, that will intensify our community engagement from immediate, local audiences to our international visitors seeking to better understand identity and place in the American South.”
About the Ogden Museum
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art and is recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and culinary heritage to provide a comprehensive story of the South. Established in 1999 and in Stephen Goldring Hall since 2003, the Museum welcomes almost 85,000 visitors annually, and attracts diverse audiences through its broad range of programming including exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and concerts which are all part of its mission to broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South.
The Ogden Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays from 6 – 8 p.m. for Ogden After Hours. Admission is free to Museum Members and $13.50 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $6.75 for children ages 5-17 and free for children under 5.
The Ogden Museum is free to Louisiana Residents on Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. courtesy of The Helis Foundation. The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established by the William Helis Family. The Art Funds of the Helis Foundation advance access to the arts for the community through contributions that sustain operations for, provide free admission to, acquire works of art and underwrite major exhibitions and projects of institutions within the Greater New Orleans area.
The Museum is closed Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.