March 6 Speaker

Dr. Kelly Baum

            Dr. Kelly Baum has served as the John and Mary Pappajohn Director since 2023. Dr. Baum leads the Art Center in furthering its mission to provide opportunities for transformational art experiences through its collections, exhibitions, and educational programming. Dr. Baum came to Des Moines from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where she served in multiple roles.

             With a focus on art, education, and scholarship, Dr. Baum has worked as a curator of modern and contemporary art for 25 years, holding positions at four civic and university art museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Princeton University of Art Museum, the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Dr. Baum holds a Ph.D. in Art History and an M.A. in Art History, both from the University of Delaware. She was a Class of 2018 Fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership. She has long embraced her role as an educator, helping pave the way for the next generation of curators and art historians through mentorship and teaching.