The Frick Pittsburgh has appointed longtime staffer Amanda Dunyak Gillen as its new executive director, a position she has held on an interim basis since November.
Gillen has worked for the Frick for more than 20 years. She most recently served as its director of Learning & Visitor Experience.
“After an extensive, national search, we concluded that the best person for the job was already at the Frick,” said Steve Pavsner, chair of the Frick Pittsburgh’s board of trustees, in a statement announcing Gillen’s appointment. “We appreciate the work Amanda has done to keep the Frick on the right course in her role as interim executive director and have tremendous confidence in her ability to steer the Frick forward.”
Before her promotion to interim executive director, Gillen, of Mount Lebanon, oversaw all adult, student and family programs related to the museum’s collection. She was also part of the design team for the Frick’s $15 million expansion that added a new visitor center and more to the Point Breeze campus.
“I am deeply honored to accept the role of executive director and am excited to continue working alongside a dedicated team of colleagues,” Gillen said in a statement. “Together, we are committed to advancing the institution’s mission and fostering its continued growth. We will build on the Frick's proud legacy of presenting thought-provoking exhibitions, compelling historical interpretation and dynamic programming.”
Gillen is a board member of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, the region’s professional museum organization. She also teaches at Duquesne University.
The Frick’s previous executive director, Elizabeth Barker, left the museum in October after five years on the job.
The Frick, founded by Helen Clay Frick, includes an art museum that hosts a permanent collection as well as touring shows like this year’s hit “Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh and New York.”
The leafy campus also includes Clayton, the former home of industrial magnate Henry Clay Frick, and the Car & Carriage Museum.
