Valerie Hillings is stepping down as the director of the North Carolina Museum of Art this month. After serving in the role since 2018, she is moving to the United Arab Emirates to lead the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. This new position marks a return for Hillings, who previously spent nearly a decade working to establish that institution.
During her tenure in Raleigh, Hillings managed significant growth across both the Raleigh and Winston-Salem campuses. She oversaw the largest private fundraising effort in the history of the state museum. Her work included a major reorganization of the permanent collection, which involved closing the main building in 2022 to rehang artwork and provide more historical context for the pieces on display.
The updated collection, rebranded as the People’s Collection, includes a larger selection of works by women and artists of color. Hillings focused on shifting how the museum presents art by pairing pieces to reveal complex historical narratives, such as connecting Dutch portraiture to the history of colonization. She noted that these updates require visitors to read the provided labels to understand the curated connections between eras.
State officials confirmed that Katherine White will step in as interim director starting August 19. White has served as deputy director of the museum since 2018. The North Carolina Museum of Art remains a central cultural institution in the South, housing a collection that spans over 5,000 years of history at its Blue Ridge Road facility.