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BROOKLYN MUSEUM ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF CHARLES DESMARAIS AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OR ART w/ no cuts

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Dr Arnold L. Lehman, director of the Brooklyn Museum, recently announced the appointment of Charles Desmarais to the position of deputy director for art, following a national search. Desmarais is currently curator at large for the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Cincinnati, responsible for long-term curatorial and publishing projects. He served as director of the CAC from 1995 until January 2004, when he moved to New York to be engaged more directly with collectors, galleries and artists.

Desmarais will join the Brooklyn Museum staff on January 3, becoming one of three deputy directors. Commenting on his new role, Desmarais said, “I have long admired the Brooklyn Museum and strongly believe in the direction that it has taken under Arnold Lehman’s leadership. I look forward to working with Arnold and the rest of the museum’s exemplary staff to support and enhance Brooklyn’s strong commitment to visitors through its nationally recognized collections, exhibitions and education programs.”

In his new position, Desmarais will oversee all curatorial departments, conservation, collections and exhibition management. He will also be responsible for supervising Brooklyn’s education division. Prior to joining the CAC, Desmarais served as director of the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, Calif. In the 1980s, he directed the California Museum of Photography at the University of California, Riverside.

A native of the Bronx, Desmarais earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and was one of the first participants in the Museum Management Institute program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. He has written more than 100 articles and books and was awarded an Art Critics Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1979.

In addition to his experience as a museum administrator, Desmarais has curated more than 50 exhibitions of the work of various artists, photographers and architects. Most recently he has been engaged in arts management consulting, specifically in the area of strategic planning and board development, in association with AEA Consulting and others.

The Brooklyn Museum is at 200 Eastern Parkway. For information, 718-638-5000 or www.BrooklynMuseum.org.