Linda Harrison was appointed the new Director and CEO of the Newark Museum as of January 1, 2019. Her vision is to connect Newark and greater New Jersey Communities at the Museum by igniting diverse and inclusive conversations on race and culture through the arts and public programming.
Harrison’s previous tenure was at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, where she served as the director and chief executive since 2013. Under her leadership there, landmark exhibitions were presented by notable and forward thinking contemporary artists, like Toyin Ojih Odutola, Alison Saar and Todd Gray, as she led the museum through an organizational transformation that positioned the museum as an anchor cultural institution in San Francisco. Within Harrison’s first year at MoAD she redesigned the museum–-with the help of the Gensler Architect Team–-doubling the number of galleries. She increased fundraising by 60 percent and raised museum attendance by 25 percent. Additionally, in 2017 she secured a $1 million dollar gift for MoAD.
Harrison has more than 20 years of leadership experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. She founded two San Francisco businesses, and worked as a Vice President for Eastman Kodak, along with other Fortune 500 companies. She is a recipient of the 2017 Yerba Buena Center of the Arts “100 List” and the 2017 Arts and Culture award from San Francisco’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Harrison has served on many non-profit boards including San Francisco Travel, Yerba Buena Community Benefit District, California Association of Realtors, San Francisco Association of Realtors, Horizon Foundation and Frameline. Linda also served on the Board of EARN, a San Francisco nonprofit that helps low-income American families achieve financial stability.
GLI Peer Mentor (2019)