Palm Springs Art Museum Names Louis Grachos Executive Director -ARTnews

Louis Grachos, who currently serves as executive director of the Contemporary Austin in Texas, will join the Palm Springs Art Museum in California as executive director and CEO in June.

Grachos began his tenure at the Contemporary Austin in 2013. While there he has managed the development of the Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize and the renovation of the Jones Center, among other initiatives. He also oversaw exhibitions such as “Huma Bhabha: Other Forms of Life” (2018-19), “Jessica Stockholder: Relational Aesthetics” (2018-19), and the dual-site presentation of “Ai Weiwei: Forever Bicycles” (2014).

From 2003 to 2012, Grachos was executive director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and, from 1996 to 2003, he worked as director of SITE in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“It will be a privilege to work with such distinguished museum buildings and collections, develop strong exhibition programs, and deepen the museum’s commitment to arts education and outreach,” Grachos said in a statement. “I am inspired by the ever-growing community surrounding the museum, and I believe that the three uniquely distinct sites that comprise it present an extraordinary opportunity to further develop and nurture Palm Springs as a rich cultural destination.”