Madeleine Grynsztejn, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) since 2008, has announced she will step down at the end of 2025 after 18 years in the role. During her tenure, she oversaw an $82 million renovation, record attendance, major exhibitions including Kerry James Marshall's first museum retrospective and a Takashi Murakami show, and initiatives for gender parity in the collection. She also tripled the museum's endowment and nearly doubled its operating budget through donor engagement.
Grynsztejn's departure marks the end of a transformative era for MCA Chicago, positioning the museum for its 60th anniversary in 2027. Her leadership emphasized inclusive collecting, local artist support, and international visibility, setting a standard for how museums can balance equity with financial growth. The search for her successor will shape the institution's next chapter, as Grynsztejn plans to continue elevating artists on local and global stages.