UCSD - University of California - San Diego

09/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/14/2026 15:29

Coming Full Circle: Alumnus Brett Littman Returns to the Museum That Inspired Him

Published Date

September 14, 2026

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Philosophy alumnus Brett Littman, '95 describes his time at UC San Diego as a golden era, one shaped by a voracious curiosity that extended well beyond the classroom. He sought out conversations with faculty across philosophy, literature, film and visual arts and traveled with friends to attend concerts, cultural events and lectures by leading scholars.

One of his favorite places to encounter new perspectives was the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. For Littman, who grew up in New York City, visits to the museum opened a window into California culture.

Now, Littman is returning to the museum as its director and CEO, beginning Oct. 1. The appointment builds on three decades of experience in the arts, including leadership roles at MoMA PS1, The Drawing Center and the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. A curator, art critic, lecturer and essayist, Littman has also organized more than 40 exhibitions spanning visual art, design, architecture, music, science and literature.

Ahead of his new role, Littman reflects on his formative years at UC San Diego and shares his vision for the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego as a nexus for understanding culture.

How did a UC San Diego philosophy class inspire you to rethink your medical school ambitions?

My Dad was a photographer, and he named me after photographer Edward Weston's son, Brett. Although I was surrounded by art, I grew up engaged in math and science. I arrived at UC San Diego as a pre-med student - that was, until I enrolled in Professor Robert Pippin's Humanities 1 and 5 courses which were part of Revelle College's requirements.

The class was full of students majoring in engineering, physics and medicine, and Pippin blew our minds. He opened up a conversation about how to think in a way that was very profound. By our sophomore year, eight of us had left the sciences to study philosophy because he was so interesting. I still think about and read philosophy and theory today as a reference point for a lot of my writing.

You describe your time at UC San Diego as a "golden era." Which memories stand out most vividly?

I began taking poetry classes in the Department of Literature and I got to know faculty in the Department of Visual Arts. I remember walking down to the Quonset huts (a remnant of the military base where the university now sits) to talk with Professor Alan Kaprow, known for inventing interactive art "happenings" in the late 1950s. I would also chat with Professor Harold Cohen in his studio, where he was making work on his computerized drawing machine, one of the earliest creative uses of artificial intelligence.

I also attended the world premiere of John Cage's "One 6" concert on campus. He collaborated with a sculptor who suspended a pyramid-shaped block of ice with frozen pebbles on a stage above bamboo rods and piano wires stretched across a reflecting pool. My friends and I sat with John for at least four or five hours as he snacked on his seaweed. There was no one else, it was incredible. It was amazing to me that these kinds of people just showed up at UC San Diego and you could go and talk to them without a crowd.

Which art form produces the greatest emotional response for you, and how did your job as a student amplify your enthusiasm?

I don't think I've ever cried in front of a painting, but I've definitely gotten teary eyed listening to music - so I would say music is the art form that has the biggest emotional impact on me.

As a student I worked at the Central Library (now Geisel Library) as a DJ at the music library. They held more than 100,000 records and had little carousels where you could sit and reserve to listen to albums. I managed four turn tables, directing the sound to different carousels. I could put on headphones and tune into what the music students were listening to. It was a great education in contemporary music and an unbelievably good record collection - from jazz to experimental music and rock.

Your path to becoming a museum leader has not been linear. Tell us about your career trajectory and what your new role encompasses.

In my career I've really cultivated both the right and left sides of my brain through many different experiences. I started as a development director in the field and I'm very comfortable with finances and fundraising. I've also led capital projects, been a real estate developer, reviewed architectural plans and navigated legal issues surrounding intellectual property. I'm also a curator, art critic and writer, and have written extensively for museum publications and art, design and fashion magazines.

As director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, I feel initially my role will center on honing our story as an institution and translating that to our community to inspire support and engagement. I will lead museum operations, fundraising and business management - it truly is a catch-all job. Maybe it's because I grew up in New York, but I like being busy; my personality lends itself well to the role!

What impact did the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego have on you as a student, and what is your current vision for the institution?

I visited often as an undergraduate student. It was a formative place for me; I learned a lot about contemporary art. My friends and I probably went 30 times in the five years I was at school. I remember spending hours in the room with Robert Irwin's 1°2°3°4°. It's one of the first site-specific works that I really understood. I also remember attending a lecture by Ed Ruscha; his photography really spoke to me with its conceptual, urban language. It was my first exposure to California art, and it changed my perspective on what visual art could be. I'm very fortunate to return to a place that impacted me as a younger person.

My vision for the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is to be a space that defines contemporary visual culture in Southern California. We are at an opportune moment, following our major renovation, to broaden the purview of the museum. I'm excited to go out and talk to people, meet local artists and visual arts faculty at UC San Diego. I also want to bring in different kinds of public programs that allow us to interface with writers, scientists and other experts who comprise the complex mix of science, aerospace, biotechnology and ecological specialists in our region. For me, the museum serves as an exciting connection point between our collections and the community.

What role do the arts serve in our lives?

The arts offer us leverage into worlds we've never imagined before and help us get away from dogmatic ways of thinking. It's incredibly important to look at art, even if you don't understand it, even if you don't like it, even if you find it to be annoying. I encourage everyone to go to museums and look because it strengthens your ability to think in other ways.

Art is often tied to the history of ideas and the changes in the ways we perceive things. For instance, when I was executive director of The Drawing Center, I presented drawing as a visualization of thinking. Everyone draws - from architects to musicians and scientists - it's a fundamental way to visualize ideas. Museums expand our understanding of the importance contemporary visual culture plays in how we live today.

Read more news about: Alumni, School of Arts and Humanities

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