Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Announces New Director

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston, has named Pierre Terjanian as its next director and chief executive officer. On Thursday, April 10, the museum released a statement announcing Terjanian's appointment, which follows a seven-month international search for the position.

Terjanian — the MFA, Boston's chief of curatorial affairs and conservation — will succeed Matthew Teitelbaum, who has served as director since 2015. Terjanian will begin his new role in July.

In an interview with The New York Times, Terjanian, 56, expressed enthusiasm for the position. “The predominant feeling is the excitement,” he said. “This is a great institution, and it has a big part to play in Boston, in New England, and beyond.”

Originally from Strasbourg, France, Terjanian began his career at the MFA, Boston, in 2024. As a member of the leadership team, he was in charge of all conservation efforts for the museum's collection of more than 500,000 objects.

Terjanian collaborated with several members of the MFA, Boston, on its current exhibition, “Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits.” This collection of 23 works depicts Van Gogh's relationship with a family when he lived in the South of France during the 1880s.

Before he began working at the MFA, Boston, Terjanian was a curator who directed the Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He was also the curator and acting head of the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Before 1700 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In a statement shared with The New York Times, Emi M. Winterer, president of the board of trustees at the MFA, Boston, said that Terjanian's name arose frequently in discussions during the search.

“He quickly earned the trust and respect of his colleagues,” Winterer said.