NC Museum of Art Director Valerie Hillings Announces Departure

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) announced today that North Carolina Museum of Art Director and North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc., CEO Dr. Valerie Hillings will be leaving to become the inaugural director of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emerates, a museum of modern and contemporary art announced to open Dec. 11, 2026. Hillings, who began the role in 2018, presided over significant growth at the NCMA campuses in Raleigh and Winston-Salem and successfully led the largest private fundraising campaign in NCMA history.

"I leave the North Carolina Museum of Art enormously proud and grateful," said Hillings. "We weathered a global pandemic; reimagined, reinstalled, and grew the People's Collection; designed and initiated transformational capital projects at the Raleigh and Winston-Salem campuses; and expanded statewide outreach initiatives to serve a larger and more representative audience. The state of the North Carolina Museum of Art is strong and its future bright."

During Hillings' tenure, the Museum achieved these successes thanks to appropriations from the Governor and the North Carolina General Assembly and the generosity of individual, corporate, and foundation supporters.

"Valerie Hillings' vision and leadership will be felt long into the future," said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. "She never forgot that the North Carolina Museum of Art belongs to the people of North Carolina. We celebrate her tenure and wish her all the best as she assumes this exciting new role, which is a testament to her reputation."

Prior to joining NCMA, Hillings held senior positions for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York and internationally.

Katherine White, NCMA deputy director since 2018, will serve as Interim Director following Hillings' departure on Aug. 19. DNCR will be engaging a search firm to recruit candidates for the next director and CEO.

About the North Carolina Museum of Art
The North Carolina Museum of Art's collection spans more than 5,000 years, from antiquity to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the South. The museum's collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The museum offers changing special exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films and concerts. The museum is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Rd. in Raleigh and is home to the People's Collection. It is the art museum of the State of North Carolina, under the auspices of Gov. Josh Stein; an agency of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, guided by the direction of Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell; and led by Director Valerie Hillings. For more information, please visitncartmuseum.org.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.