The Board of Directors of CUE Art Foundation is pleased to announce that Dena Muller has been appointed as Executive Director. Muller will build on the ten year old organization's record of high quality exhibitions and other services to artists of all ages, while strengthening the organization's roots and developing new programming in response to a rapidly-shifting environment. Muller is an accomplished executive who has facilitated growth through mission-based initiatives for nonprofit arts organizations for more than fifteen years. She brings extensive experience in increasing organizational resources through the development of new programs, audiences and revenue platforms. Founding board member, artist Gregory Amenoff says, "The Board of Directors and staff look forward to working with Dena. Her leadership will be vital to developing a new strategic plan for the next phase of CUE's life." Interim Director Beatrice Wolert-Weese will continue in her capacity as Associate Director to assist Muller in leading CUE.
Before joining CUE, Muller served as the Director of New Initiatives at the New York Foundation for the Arts where, in addition to cultivating new resources for NYFA’s existing programs, she also advanced NYFA’s services to artists by overseeing the development and implementation of the $1.5 million Emergency Relief Fund for artists affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Newest board member, artist Sanford Biggers says “People frequently refer to artists as starving and early on, I too had no idea you could make a living as an artist. But like anything, given time and dedication – ingenuity, entrepreneurship, luck, fate – artists figure out ways to thrive. I appreciate how CUE helps artists to find these ways and look forward to working with Dena and the board to expand the opportunities we offer.”
Muller adds, “I am happy to join CUE in its support of artists. By necessity, most artists live multi-layered professional lives that require tremendous creativity outside the studio as well to sustain their practice. I look forward to building on CUE’s existing successes in its exhibition, curatorial, critical, and educational programming, to extend resources to an increasing community of arts professionals."
Muller also served as the Executive Director of ArtTable where she lead the organization through its 30th Anniversary celebration recognizing thirty leaders in the arts through a gala celebration at MoMA and a members’ conference at Sotheby’s. Prior to ArtTable, Muller served as the Executive Director of A.I.R. Gallery where she balanced its history as a landmark artists’ collective with its ongoing mission to create opportunities for artists. In particular she was instrumental in placing the gallery’s archive in the Downtown Collection at NYU’s Fales Library and establishing a fully-funded fellowship program for emerging artists.
Muller is a graduate of New York University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is an advisory board member of A.I.R. Gallery and is on the fundraising committees for Central Park East 1 and Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering. She lives in Harlem with her husband and two young children.
For further information please contact: Associate Director Beatrice Wolert-Weese, (212.206.3583; beatrice@cueartfoundation.org)