Dr. Gail Stavitsky, Chief Curator, Montclair Art Museum

The Montclair Art Museum announced that its longtime chief curator, Dr. Gail Stavitsky, will retire July 1, 2026, concluding a career spanning more than three decades at the institution.

Stavitsky joined the museum in 1994 as curator of collections and exhibitions and became chief curator in 1998. Over her tenure, she helped shape the museum’s curatorial direction, expand its national profile and deepen its focus on American and Native American art.

She curated more than 200 exhibitions, including nationally recognized shows such as Cézanne and American Modernism (2009) and Matisse and American Art (2017), and organized numerous projects that traveled beyond Montclair.

Her work also played a key role in building and interpreting the museum’s permanent collection, which now includes more than 14,000 works, with significant holdings by artists such as George Inness and Georgia O’Keeffe.

“Gail’s impact on this museum, her field, and the community is immeasurable,” said Todd Caissie, the museum’s interim director, in a statement.

Stavitsky, who holds a Ph.D. in art history from New York University Institute of Fine Arts, said the museum has been her “beloved professional home” and highlighted her work advancing scholarship and building relationships with artists.

“Given that MAM has been my beloved professional home and community for over 30 years, it is difficult to summarize what and how much the Museum means to me,” said Stavitsky. “I have been provided with so many opportunities to curate innovative exhibitions that have advanced scholarship as the first of their kind. I look forward to seeing what the next chapters will be and cherish my ongoing connections with the Montclair Art Museum staff, leadership, and community-at-large.”

Following her retirement, Stavitsky will continue working with the museum as chief curator emerita.

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