Glenn Lowry

Glenn Lowry is a renowned museum director, currently serving as the director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. He has been instrumental in shaping the museum's vision and collections, working closely with artists such as Gerhard Richter, Cindy Sherman, and Kerry James Marshall. Lowry's tenure has been marked by significant exhibitions, including the Matisse/Picasso show and the Abstract Expressionism retrospective, which featured works by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. His leadership has also been influenced by his interactions with other prominent museum directors, such as Neil MacGregor of the British Museum and Thomas P. Campbell of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

● Early Life and Education

Glenn Lowry was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in a family that valued art and culture, often visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum. He pursued his undergraduate degree at Williams College, where he studied Art History and developed a strong interest in Modern Art, particularly the works of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Marcel Duchamp. Lowry then went on to earn his graduate degree from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, and later received a fellowship to study at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, where he was exposed to the works of Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney.

● Career

Lowry began his career in the art world at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, working under the guidance of Jean Sutherland Boggs and Charles Hill. He later moved to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he worked with Jan Fontein and Theodore Stebbins Jr. to develop exhibitions on Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, featuring artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Cézanne. Lowry's experience also includes working with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where he collaborated with Anne d'Harnoncourt and Kynaston McShine on exhibitions showcasing the works of Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg.

● Museum Leadership

As the director of the Museum of Modern Art, Lowry has overseen numerous high-profile exhibitions, including the Van Gogh retrospective, which featured loans from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. He has also worked to expand the museum's collection, acquiring works by artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Josef Albers. Lowry's leadership has been influenced by his interactions with other prominent cultural institutions, including the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

● Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Lowry has received numerous awards and honors, including the National Medal of Arts, which was presented to him by President Barack Obama at a ceremony at the White House. He has also been recognized by the French government with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and has received honorary degrees from institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Lowry's contributions to the art world have also been acknowledged by organizations such as the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Alliance of Museums.

● Publications and Lectures

Lowry has written extensively on art and museum-related topics, publishing articles in journals such as Artforum, Art in America, and The Burlington Magazine. He has also given lectures at institutions such as the Princeton University Art Museum, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. Lowry's writings have been influenced by his interactions with artists such as Richard Serra, Anish Kapoor, and Cindy Sherman, as well as his collaborations with curators such as Kynaston McShine and Robert Storr.

● Controversies and Criticisms

Despite his many accomplishments, Lowry's tenure as director of the Museum of Modern Art has not been without controversy. He has faced criticism from some in the art world for the museum's handling of issues such as deaccessioning and repatriation, particularly with regards to works looted during World War II. Lowry has also been criticized for the museum's decision to tear down the American Folk Art Museum building, which was designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. Additionally, he has faced challenges related to the museum's expansion plans, which have been opposed by some members of the New York City Council and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.