Henry Luce Foundation is pleased to announce that Randall (Randy) Griffey has been appointed Program Director for American Art, effective January 12, 2026.
A native of Edmond, Kansas, Griffey earned a B.A. in Fine Arts (Painting) from Bethany College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Kansas, where he focused on American modernist Marsden Hartley. He began his curatorial career at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and later served as Curator of American Art at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. From 2013 to 2022, Griffey was Curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he executed, among other projects, Kent Monkman—mistikộsiwak (Wooden Boat People), the museum’s Great Hall commission of a monumental diptych that recast the history of North America/Turtle Island from a Cree perspective, and co-organized Alice Neel: People Come First. He joins Luce from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where he has served as Head Curator since 2022.
“I am honored, humbled, and energized to join Henry Luce Foundation as Program Director, American Art,” said Griffey. “In doing so, I am mindful of the Foundation’s tremendous history and impact supporting American art and culture across the country through partnerships with institutions of every scale. Particularly as museums face new challenges, including losses of critical public funding and backlashes against cultural inclusion initiatives, I am enthused to mobilize Luce’s resources and relationships in the service of the Foundation’s steadfast, values-driven mission to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world.”
Sean Buffington, Vice President for Programs, shared his enthusiasm for the appointment.
“I’m thrilled that Randy is joining the Luce team as director of the American Art Program. He is an outstanding scholar and curator whose own work has moved the field forward. As important, he sees clearly the challenges facing museums and universities today. I can’t think of a leader better equipped to lead the American Art Program in the coming years, building on the remarkable legacy of his predecessors, Ellen Holtzman and Terry Carbone.”
Jonathan Holloway, President and CEO of Henry Luce Foundation, noted that Griffey’s appointment reflects the Foundation’s broader civic mission.
“At a time when our shared civic square feels fractured, institutions like ours have both an opportunity and an obligation to help repair it. Through its enduring support for American art, the Luce Foundation continues to invest in the people and places that strengthen our collective imagination and capacity for dialogue. Randy’s leadership will ensure that this work not only endures but evolves to meet the moment and beyond.”
Griffey will lead the Foundation’s American Art Program in grantmaking to bolster support for arts professionals and institutions as they strive to protect hard-earned gains in sharing fulsome, expansive stories about American experiences and creativity.
