Meet New Parrish Art Museum Director Mónica Ramírez-Montagut

Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, an experienced contemporary art curator, has begun her work as the next director for the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill.

She has extensive experience as a contemporary art curator. She has worked for museums such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, and the San Jose Museum of Art. Most recently, she was the director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University.

“It’s a culmination of about a 20-year career dedicated to contemporary artists,” Ramírez-Montagut says.

She had always had a passion for fine arts and is excited about her upcoming work at the Parrish Art Museum. She describes the museum as a creative and vibrant community and is delighted to be a member of it.

“It’s a very well-established, arts leading institution in the country,” she says. “We are all looking at what the Parrish does.”

In her new role and beyond, she aims to open pathways into the field of art for new artists, while also continuing to showcase established artists and dig deeper into their work.

For Ramírez-Montagut, it is essential to make Parrish Art Museum programs accessible for the local community, as well as first-time visitors. No matter how many times you have been to the Parrish Art Museum before or how much you know about art, it is the new director’s goal to always make you feel welcome.

She is eager for this upcoming year with the Parrish Art Museum while preparing for its 125th anniversary.

“We have a huge story to tell,” she says. “We are designing special programs for the 125th anniversary.”

The new director is also looking forward to celebrating the Parrish Art Museum by highlighting its collection.

“We are who we are because of the collection that we have and because of all those artists who were visionaries, to come here to the East End and start producing art,” she says.

Ramírez-Montagut constantly finds inspiration in each of her studio visits. She is committed to finding creative and motivated artists and will continue this work as the new Parrish Art Museum Director.