Deborah Cullen Hired as Bronx Museum of the Arts Director

The recipient of a master's degree in urban planning and an MBA from Columbia University, Eric Blair-Joannou is an experienced real estate management and business professional in New York. Away from the office, Eric Blair-Joannou is a trustee of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. 

In June 2018, the Bronx Museum of the Arts named Deborah Cullen as its new director. A resident of the Bronx herself, Cullen previously served as director of Columbia University's Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery and oversaw the opening of a gallery in West Harlem, gaining a reputation for championing art from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. Cullen also founded the Uptown contemporary art show that highlighted the work of artists living in northern Manhattan.

The new director position opened up in 2017 after the passing of previous director Holly Block, who lost a battle with breast cancer. Block had served 11 years in the post, overseeing a considerable increase in museum attendance. Cullen, meanwhile, officially took over with the goal of completing its $25 million capital campaign while also balancing communal and global aims of the museum’s board.