New director of the Henry Art Gallery announced

Kris Lewis has been named the next John S. Behnke director of the Henry Art Gallery. Lewis brings 28 years of experience in museums and in visual arts organizations, most recently as director of development and interim executive director for the Fowler Museum at UCLA.

“Over the last 17 years as an advancement leader, I have had the privilege of working intimately across museum departments—from curatorial to collections, to programming to general operations,” Lewis says. “I have helped my colleagues mount world-class exhibitions, publish pathbreaking scholarship, care for and conserve renowned collections, amplify diverse voices through global-reaching programs, problem solve, build new buildings and more — all by securing the critical resources needed to make this happen.”

Lewis will begin her tenure at the Henry on August 8, 2023, following the retirement of current director Sylvia Wolf. The full announcement from Dianne Harris, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Gabriel Solis, divisional dean of arts, is included below.

Dear College of Arts & Sciences faculty,

It is our great pleasure to announce that Kris Lewis will be the next John S. Behnke director of the Henry Art Gallery within the UW College of Arts & Sciences. Her first day with us will be Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Kris is a creative, visionary leader and exceptional relationship-builder with nearly three decades of experience working in museums and visual arts organizations in New York and Los Angeles. She comes to us from the Fowler Museum at UCLA, where she served as director of development and as an integral part of the of development and as an integral part of the interim executive director cohort.

During her tenure at the Fowler, Kris brought in critical revenue, raised the visibility of the museum, and helped realize countless exhibitions and programs that showcased diverse narratives. The advancement team she built acquired over 500 new members and donors and increased grant funding by 1000%, securing two of the largest grants in the museum's history.

Prior to her tenure at the Fowler, she was the director of government and foundation relations at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where she led her team to raise $30 million in grant funding in four and half years, and was previously associate director of development at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. She has held fundraising positions at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; has been an international fundraising consultant; and has managed high-profile public art projects. Kris recently established and oversees The Martha Alf Foundation, which honors the late artist and awards scholarships to MFA students in Los Angeles. She holds a BA in Art History from Denison University and an MA in Visual Arts Administration from New York University, where she has been a visiting lecturer and student mentor since 2015.

Kris has a deep commitment to upholding equity, inclusion, and collaboration that makes her well-suited to champion the Henry and its dedicated mission to engage all people in the transformative power of contemporary art and ideas. She is excited to guide the Henry to grow as a civic gathering space and create positive change through collaboration, and we are equally excited to partner with her in these endeavors.

As we welcome Kris, we also thank Sylvia Wolf for her outstanding 15 years of service to the Henry and the University of Washington. We wish Sylvia all the best as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

With best wishes,

Dianne Harris, Dean and Gabriel Solis, Divisional Dean of Arts