Wrightwood 659, an art museum located in Lincoln Park, named Mariah Keller as its new executive director in January. The announcement comes as the museum prepares to open two major exhibitions on April 17.
Keller takes over from Jan Kallish, who led the museum since 2021. Her appointment comes at a time when Wrightwood 659 is gaining more attention both locally and internationally for its focus on socially engaged art and architecture.
Founded in 2018 at 659 W. Wrightwood Ave., the museum specializes in exhibitions that highlight LGBTQ+ themes and Asian art. The building itself was redesigned by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando and does not have a permanent collection, instead relying on loans and guest curators for its shows.
Keller brings extensive experience from roles at institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and most recently served as interim director at Indiana University’s Eskenazi Museum of Art. She said her background in publishing has influenced her work so far: “I’m doing a lot of communications work,” Keller said. “Writing and editing for our weekly newsletter, the website and other materials. I love that kind of work. Publishing is really my first love, but I also enjoy being a director and overseeing everything that goes on in a museum.”
Despite operating with only about nine staff members, Wrightwood 659 typically hosts four exhibitions each year across three gallery floors. “For an organization of this size, it’s a pretty ambitious schedule,” Keller said.
The museum recently received acclaim for “The First Homosexuals,” an exhibition surveying LGBTQ+ art that attracted international interest before traveling abroad. Looking ahead to future programming under her leadership, Keller said: “What I love about Wrightwood is the mission — the focus on underrepresented artists and subjects… The quality of the exhibitions is also incredibly high, and the building itself is extraordinary.”
Wrightwood 659 was founded by Chicago media executive Fred Eychaner with architect Ando transforming a former apartment building into its current space. Reflecting on community engagement efforts going forward, Keller said: “Building ties with the community is really important… There’s been a push in recent years for museums to be more engaged with their local communities — not just for people to be aware of what you do but to feel a sense of ownership.”
Upcoming exhibits include “Martin Wong: Chinatown USA,” featuring over one hundred works by Chinese-American artist Martin Wong—the first major U.S. show dedicated to his work in several years—and “Dispossessions in the Americas,” exploring colonialism’s legacy through contemporary Latin American artists.
Timed-entry tickets are required for Friday and Saturday visits; school groups attend during weekdays while public hours are limited Sunday through Tuesday.
