ArtDayMe : As Guggenheim Abu Dhabi prepares to welcome the public this December, the museum has announced the appointment of Valerie Hillings as its inaugural Director—a landmark moment for one of the world’s most anticipated cultural institutions.

For Hillings, the appointment is more than a new leadership role; it is a return to a project she helped shape from its earliest days. Between 2009 and 2018, she served as Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, working closely with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism to build the museum’s collection and define its curatorial vision. Now, she returns to lead the institution as it opens its doors to the world.

Most recently, Hillings spent eight years as Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), where she earned recognition for expanding public access to art and championing greater diversity within the museum’s collection. Under her leadership, NCMA launched its largest fundraising campaign, advanced major capital projects, and strengthened community engagement through the acclaimed People’s Collection initiative. She also prioritized acquiring works by women, LGBTQIA+ artists, artists from underrepresented communities, and local creators, reflecting a broader commitment to inclusion and accessibility.

Before joining NCMA, Hillings dedicated nearly 14 years to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, curating exhibitions across the Guggenheim network while contributing to the long-term vision for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

After more than two decades of planning and development, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is set to become a major international destination for modern and contemporary art. The museum’s collection and exhibitions will focus on artistic practices from the 1960s onward, with particular attention to artists and movements from West Asia, North Africa, South Asia, and other regions that have shaped today’s global cultural landscape. The institution aims to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s role as a meeting point for artistic exchange, innovation, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Reflecting on her time at NCMA, Hillings expressed gratitude for what her team accomplished together.

“I leave the North Carolina Museum of Art enormously proud and grateful. We weathered a global pandemic; reimagined, reinstalled, and grew the People’s Collection; designed and initiated transformational capital projects at the Raleigh and Winston-Salem campuses; and expanded statewide outreach initiatives to serve a larger and more representative audience. The state of the North Carolina Museum of Art is strong and its future bright.”

With Hillings at the helm, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi begins a new chapter, carrying forward a vision years in the making while positioning itself as a leading platform for artistic innovation, cultural dialogue, and global exchange.