Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn. Image: Maria Ponce.

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) announced on March 17 that Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn will step down at the end of 2026, closing out an 18-year tenure that reshaped the museum’s profile in Chicago and far beyond.

Grynsztejn joined the MCA in 2008 and has since led a period of major growth and visibility for the institution. During her tenure, the museum tripled its endowment, nearly doubled its operating budget, and broadened its audiences and partnerships—while placing a strong emphasis on accessibility and artist-centered programming.

The MCA Board of Trustees will begin an international search for its next director in spring 2026. Grynsztejn will remain in her role until a successor is appointed.

“Madeleine is one of the defining museum leaders of her generation,” said Board Chair Bill Silverstein. “Her leadership elevated the MCA to new heights while keeping it deeply connected to Chicago. From the museum’s renovation to initiatives like the Bilingual Initiative and Women Artists Initiative, her impact has been lasting and far-reaching.”

In a statement, Grynsztejn reflected on her time at the museum: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as the MCA’s Pritzker Director. I’m deeply grateful to the artists, audiences, and colleagues who made this work possible.” She noted that, as the MCA approaches its 60th anniversary in 2027, the transition comes at a natural moment for new leadership to shape the institution’s next chapter.

Under Grynsztejn, the MCA organized major exhibitions and retrospectives with artists including Kerry James Marshall, Takashi Murakami, Doris Salcedo, Nick Cave, and Virgil Abloh, alongside widely attended shows featuring David Bowie, Ólafur Eliasson, Yoko Ono, and Luc Tuymans. The museum also launched its Ascendant Artist series, offering early museum presentations to artists such as Rashid Johnson, Christina Quarles, and Wafaa Bilal.

She also oversaw significant growth of the MCA’s collection through major gifts, including the D.Daskalopoulos Collection (shared with the Guggenheim), the Arthur Jafa film archive, and contributions from collectors Marilyn and Larry Fields and Helen Zell.

Several key initiatives took shape during her tenure, including the Women Artists Initiative—dramatically increasing representation of female-identified artists—and the Bilingual Initiative, aimed at making the museum more accessible to Chicago’s Spanish-speaking communities.

In 2017, Grynsztejn led an $82 million campaign tied to the MCA’s 50th anniversary, which funded the redesign of public spaces, including the Commons. More recently, she secured a $10 million Performance Fund to support live arts programming and continues to guide the museum’s Next Strategic Plan.

Beyond the MCA, Grynsztejn serves as President of Museums in the Park and is a past president of the Association of Art Museum Directors. She was named a Knight of the French Legion of Honour in 2015.

Before arriving in Chicago, Grynsztejn was Senior Curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and curated the 1999–2000 Carnegie International. Born in Lima, Peru, she was raised in Caracas and London, and holds degrees from Columbia University and Tulane University.

Read CGN's 2023 interview with Grynsztejn here

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