The Dallas Contemporary announced new leadership Tuesday. Lucia Simek has been named the new interim director.
Simek has served as the museum’s deputy director since 2022 and has played a key role in the museum’s art programming and creative partnerships.
“We are excited to bring Lucia on as Interim Executive Director,” Cliff Risman, museum board chair, said in a press release. “Already a member of the Dallas Contemporary family, and an integral part of the Dallas art scene for the past two decades, Lucia has a keen understanding of our goals as an institution and a passionate belief in our mission.”
As deputy director, Simek helped oversee curatorial affairs and public programs. She has worked on new initiatives that incorporate performance art and offers spaces to regional artists, including DC Performance and time-based media DC Empty. Next month, the museum plans to announce a new program she created for North Texas graduate students.
The news comes after former executive director Carolina Alvarez-Mathies announced she is resigning. Alvarez-Mathies has accepted a position as senior director of institutional relations at Galeria OMR, a gallery based in Mexico City. She will also be the first artistic director of LagoAlgo, its cultural center in Chapultepec Park.
“Dallas Contemporary has driven engagement with the public to new heights, initiating boundary-breaking programs and partnerships to rethink what a museum can be,” Alvarez-Mathies said in a press release. “I am excited to watch this institution continue to shape artistic discourse in Dallas and be a provocative voice in the art world.”
Alvarez-Mathies has been the executive director since 2022. Aside from showcasing art, the museum has remained free and accessible through her cross-industry partnerships and philanthropy initiatives.
Alvarez-Mathies will play an active role until Sept. 30.
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