ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM’S DIRECTOR TO STEP DOWN

Marilyn Zeitlin, the director and chief curator of the Arizona State University Art Museum, will step down from her position at the end of the year to focus on other interests. During her years with the museum, Zeitlin helped attract the international spotlight, starting in 1995 when she was appointed US commissioner to the Venice Biennale, reports Ty Young in the Phoenix Business Journal. The ASU museum was the second university museum to represent the United States there. Zeitlin’s departure follows the Arizona Republic‘s disclosure of a university audit earlier this year that raised questions about an arrangement the museum had with a prominent donor, Stephane Janssen. Reports the Arizona Republic, the museum received $450,000 over seven years from the donor and, under an arrangement with him, used the money to buy art from the donor’s company. The arrangement, while not found to be illegal, was discontinued on the advice of auditors.