"I have been enthralled with MAD ever since it opened on Columbus Circle," said Veneciano. "The Museum has been nothing short of magical in its presentations, and I'd like to see it reach more visitors and new audiences, to share with them the Museum's attention to the power of art in the making of worldly things. MAD is brimming with potential, and I am excited to work with its passionate board and staff in directing the Museum to its destiny of leadership among New York institutions."

"We are thrilled to welcome Daniel to MAD," stated Board Chair Michele Cohen. "In addition to strong leadership skills, he brings to the Museum decades of experience at national contemporary art institutions, and his vision will enable us to further connect with our diverse city and visitors."
Mike De Paola, Trustee and Chair of the Search Committee, added, "Daniel's arrival will support and expand upon the scholarship and vision of our Chief Curator, Shannon R. Stratton, allowing MAD to present cutting-edge and insightful exhibitions that showcase contemporary visual art and culture through the lens of craft."

Prior to joining El Museo, Veneciano served as the Director of the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska (2008–2013), where increasing diversity in visitorship and the permanent collection was a top priority. He achieved record attendance through fostering a network of community partnerships; expanding exhibitions, programming, and scholarly publications; and significantly growing the museum's collection. An accomplished curator as well, Veneciano worked at the Studio Museum in Harlem (1994–1999) and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (1991–1994).

Born in Villa María, Argentina, Veneciano holds a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University; an MFA in Art with a Critical Studies emphasis from California Institute of the Arts; and a BA in Philosophy and Political Theory with an emphasis in Intellectual History from the University of California, Los Angeles. A scholar of modern and contemporary art, he has taught at Columbia and Rhode Island School of Design, and has edited and contributed to books including The Geometric Unconscious: A Century of Abstraction and Fabulous Harlequin: Orlan and the Patchwork Self. He is also the founding editor of artland, a statewide arts advocacy magazine for Nebraska. Veneciano's curatorial work includes The Naked Museum, which showcased the architecture of the Philip Johnson–designed Sheldon Museum, and Its Surreal Thing: The Temptation of Objects, an exhibition of surrealist sculpture.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields and presents the work of artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill. Since the Museum's founding in 1956 by philanthropist and visionary Aileen Osborn Webb, MAD has celebrated all facets of making and the creative processes by which materials are transformed, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Today, the Museum's curatorial program builds upon a rich history of exhibitions that emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach to art and design, and reveals the workmanship behind the objects and environments that shape our everyday lives. MAD provides an international platform for practitioners who are influencing the direction of cultural production and driving twenty-first-century innovation, and fosters a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design. The Museum will be celebrating its Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary this year.

MAD MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN
2 Columbus Circle?
New York, NY 10019
info@madmuseum.org?
+1 (212) 299-7777
http://madmuseum.org