Cooper Hewitt Director Abruptly Resigns
The design museum did not say why Caroline Baumann stepped down. The Smithsonian provost will serve as interim director during the search for her replacement.
Caroline Baumann, the director of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan, abruptly stepped down on Friday, a museum spokeswoman confirmed in an email.
No reason was given for her departure. Dr. John Davis, the Smithsonian provost, will serve as interim director while a search is conducted for her replacement. Ms. Baumann did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment Friday night.
Ms. Baumann, 53, joined the museum in 2001, having previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art, and was named director in 2013. During her tenure as director, she oversaw the $91 million renovation of the museum’s home at Fifth Avenue and East 91st Street, which aimed to make its Gilded Age mansion more inviting to modern-day visitors.
“Baumann has been a passionate voice for design,” said the museum in a statement, “and much has been accomplished during her tenure.”
The museum is partly supported by the Smithsonian Institution, but raises most of its annual revenue from donations and admission fees.
In 2018, Ms. Baumann, who was born in Paris, was given an arts award by the French embassy in Washington, which noted her partnerships with French cultural programs; the scope of the Cooper Hewitt renovation, including its creation of more interactive exhibits; the expansion of the education department; and the digitizing of the museum’s collection for online access.
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