Popular downtown Columbia art museum names new leader after months-long search
A well-known downtown Columbia art museum has named its next leader following an extensive months-long search.
The Columbia Museum of Art, located at 1515 Main St. in the heart of downtown Columbia, said in a July 9 news release that Laura Mueller will be the museum’s new executive director beginning Aug. 3.
“The CMA board of trustees is delighted to welcome Dr. Mueller to the museum,” Museum of Art board chair Therese Griffin said in a statement. “In addition to her well-rounded museum management and curatorial experiences, the board was drawn to her strong world view, cultural leadership, and work around strengthening museums through strategic positioning and capacity building.”
Mueller most recently served as interim executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Art and Vladem Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico, per the release. Mueller has more than two decades of experience in museum and cultural institution leadership, the museum’s release noted. She has a bachelor of arts in international economics from Gustavus Adolphus College, a master of arts in arts administration and a master of business administration from Southern Methodist University, and a doctor of philosophy in history of art from the University of Wisconsin.
A museum committee has spent the last seven months in search of a new executive director. The museum was previously led by executive director Della Watkins, who announced in Oct. 2025 that she planned to step aside in April 2026 to care for her aging parents in Virginia. Longtime local nonprofit leader Robin Waites has guided the museum on in interim basis in recent months.
“I believe museums have the power to inspire curiosity, foster empathy, and bring people together through shared experiences,” Mueller said in a statement. “I am excited to work alongside the board, staff, members, donors, artists, and our community to ensure the Columbia Museum of Art continues to be a welcoming, dynamic, and inspiring cultural resource for generations to come.”
