The Storm King Art Center is undergoing a number of huge changes. Chief among them will be the unveiling of its $53 million capital project in May and the appointment of the first executive director in the center’s 65-year history.

In mid-December, the Board of Trustees appointed Nora Lawrence to the position. She will assume leadership of the institution in January.

President John Stern, the grandson of Ralph Ogden and son of H. Peter Stern, who jointly founded the art center, will transition to the role of president and senior advisor to the Board of Trustees following 16 years at the helm. His deep institutional experience will continue to be instrumental to the art center’s growth as the Board highly values his advice and perspective.

While this transition is the latest step in the evolution of Storm King’s leadership structure, the process actually began in Jan. 2022 when Lawrence was hired as associate curator and later promoted to artistic director and chief curator. That December, Kellie Honeycutt was hired as the institution’s first chief operations officer. The art center’s capital project was unveiled the following year.

“We are thrilled to appoint Nora as executive director, whose innovation and creative thinking have been indispensable to the Art Center for more than a decade,” said Roberta Denning, chair of the Board of Trustees. “As artistic director and chief curator, Nora has brought dozens of visionary projects to life, helping to shape the careers of a new generation of artists while supporting established artists in achieving their most ambitious projects to date. It is an understatement to say that Storm King would not be what it is without John. We are grateful for his innumerable contributions over the years and look forward to his continued guidance in this new role.”

With the new title, Lawrence brings 20 years of experience in the arts. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Pomona College, a Master’s from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Philosophy from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Prior to joining Storm King, she worked in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art where she contributed to a number of exhibitions and publications. She has also worked at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and at MoMa PS1. Lawrence has authored and co-authored several publications including a 2022 monograph on Lynda Benglis. A 2024 Fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, she has received grants and fellowships for her work from the Luce Foundation, the Center for Advanced Studies in Visual Arts, Latitude Brazil, and the Office of Contemporary Art, Norway, among others.

“Storm King is a special place, and it is an indescribable honor to steward this institution into the future,” Lawrence said. “Over the past several years, we have seen first-hand what Storm King means to people both near and far, and I look forward to advancing this in the years ahead.

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of this institution, and with the opening of the 2025 season next spring, Storm King’s staff, artists, and community will begin a vibrant new chapter together.”

As executive director, Lawrence will hold primary responsibility for developing, executing, and promoting Storm King’s strategic vision in collaboration with and as approved by the Board of Trustees. Part of this vision includes the capital project which aims to enhance the way visitors, staff, and artists experience the Art Center. It comprises five additional acres of landscape for art; a new visitor arrival area with streamlined parking and accessible amenities; a purpose-built conservation, fabrication, and maintenance building; and a holistic approach to landscape stewardship and environmental sustainability.