Thomas Krens | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Krens speaking at the Williams College Museum of Art in 2006. | |
| Born | December 26, 1946[1] |
| Education | B.A. Political Economy w/honors Williams College 1969 M.A. State University of New York at Albany Art 1971 Master in Pub. and Private Management Yale University 1984 HHD (honors) State University of New York at Albany 1989[1] |
| Occupation | Senior Advisor for International Affairs[1] |
| Employer | Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation[1] |
| Known for | Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation from 1988 to 2008[2][3] |
| Awards | Honorary Doctorates from Williams College, Yale University, and the State University of New York at Albany Special Prize for Architectural Patronage at the Venice Biennale of Architecture Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico) American Federation of Arts Cultural Leadership Award[2] |
| Notes | |
Member of Association of Art Museum Directors, Réunion des Musées, Council on Foreign Relations, New York[1][2] | |
Thomas Krens (born December 26, 1946) is the former director and Senior Advisor for International Affairs of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York City.[2][3] From the beginning of his work at the Guggenheim, Krens promised, and delivered, great change, and was frequently in the spotlight, often as a figure of controversy.[4][5]
During his 20-year tenure as director he expanded the Guggenheim globally by enlarging and raising the profile of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy, and then building the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain (1997), Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, Germany (1997, ended 2013), the Guggenheim Las Vegas (2001, closed 2003) and Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, also in Las Vegas, (2001, closed May 2008), Guggenheim Guadalajara, Mexico (cancelled in 2009, originally to open 2011), and the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, currently under development. Krens spearheaded spectacular exhibitions such as The Art of the Motorcycle and ambitious shows covering the art of entire countries, including China and Brazil. As director, Krens increased the Guggenheim’s endowment from US$ 20 million to US$ 118 million.[2]
Krens was succeeded as director of the Guggenheim Foundation by Richard Armstrong, formerly the chief curator and director of the Carnegie Museum of Art and a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.[3]