Tucson Museum of Art Names Annie Breckenridge Barrett New Jon and Linda Ender Director, CEO

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Anne Breckenridge Barrett as the Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO.

Breckenridge Barrett will lead the 101-year-old museum and its four-acre campus which includes five historic properties, galleries, an art education center, and a research library. Breckenridge Barrett will officially assume her executive role at the museum in mid-May 2025. 

Breckenridge Barrett expressed her enthusiasm about the role, stating: “I am deeply humbled and excited to join the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. I see TMA’s mission—connecting art to life—as both timely and timeless, serving as a powerful catalyst for human connection and shared learning. I look forward to collaborating with the exceptional staff, dedicated board, and broader community to chart a course for TMA’s second century as a dynamic cultural beacon for Tucson and Southern Arizona.”

TMA’s Board President Marilyn Joyce extends her gratitude to the search committee and senior staff during the interim period, which was crucial for the museum’s continued success. “After a nationwide search, we look forward to Anne bringing her proven leadership to TMA and stewarding the museum we love in its next chapter,” said Joyce. “The breadth of her experience and her ability to engage people as she shares her love of art and her vision for the future of TMA as a ‘catalyst for human connection’ will empower all of us in our community to connect and thrive.”

Breckenridge Barrett has over 30 years of experience in cultural heritage, non-profit, and legal sectors, with a particular focus on museum leadership in contemporary and medium-specific institutions. She currently serves as senior director of principal gifts and liaison to the Executive Office of the President at the University of Arizona Foundation, where she advances transformative philanthropy university-wide. 

Previously, she held dual posts as director of the Center for Creative Photography and Associate Vice President for the Arts at the University of Arizona. During her tenure, she convened a group of national museum leaders to assess the University’s art museum, and spearheaded, in concert with her colleagues, a transformative strategic plan for the CCP. The plan resulted in the CCP’s first capital expansion in two decades, the creation of a new social practice department, and a state-of-the-art cold storage renovation. She also orchestrated the auction of duplicate works to establish an endowment aimed at diversifying the archive and secured major grants from the Luce, Terra, Sherman Fairchild, and Marshall Foundations.

Prior to her tenure at UA, Breckenridge Barrett was the director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where she led a significant restructuring of the division, enhancing its alignment with institutional goals. In addition to overseeing the MCA’s permanent collection, she led cross-functional teams responsible for the planning and execution of several high-profile exhibitions. Among the most notable: David Bowie Is, Kerry James Marshall: Mastry, and Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg.

Breckenridge Barrett holds a Bachelor of Arts from the American University, a Master of Arts from New York University, as well as a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School.

Pictured above – Anne Breckenridge Barrett. Courtesy Tucson Museum of Art.