NED RIFKIN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF THE BLANTON MUSEUM OF ART

Ned Rifkin, former undersecretary for art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, has been appointed director of the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas, Austin. Beginning September 1, Rifkin also will hold the position of professor of art and art history in the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Fine Arts and will become a special adviser to school president William Powers Jr. on the visual arts for the campus and collections at the university. “Ned Rifkin is a tremendous addition to our university,” said Powers. “His vision, energy, and knowledge will be a critical factor in shaping the visual arts at the university into a new and exciting era. I could not be more excited or delighted about what Ned Rifkin will mean for making the University of Texas one of the nation’s leading centers for the arts. Under his leadership, the Blanton will become the ‘arts entrance’ to our campus.” Rifkin succeeds Jessie Otto Hite, who retired in March 2008 after having been director of the art museum for fifteen years. Ann Wilson, associate director of the museum, has been the interim director.