Art World Shuffles

Dallas Museum of Art director departs for new global gig

News_Maxwell Anderson_Dallas Museum of Art_director

Maxwell L. Anderson is stepping down as director of the DMA.

Maxwell L. Anderson is leaving the Dallas Museum of Art for the nonprofit world. The now-former director will join the New Cities Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2010 whose mission is to shape a better urban future through events, research, and innovation projects.

According to a release from the DMA, Anderson will serve as director of grant programs, where "he will be devising strategies to advance the foundation's focus on innovation and digital media."

New Cities Foundation describes Anderson's new role as helping to "develop ways of supporting NCF'S focus on urban innovation, with a particular emphasis on how digital platforms can improve the lives of city dwellers internationally." He also will "assist the foundation's affiliate, GCDN (Global Cultural Districts Network), along with other endeavors to improve the quality of urban life through strategic investments, advocacy, and foundation alliances."

Anderson, who has put his house on the market, joined the DMA as director in 2011. During his tenure, he reinstituted free admission to the museum's general collection, established a loyalty program, launched the conservation studio, and strengthened partnerships with North Texas universities.

The release states that Walter Elcock, president of the museum’s board of trustees, will serve as interim director; board vice president Catherine Rose will serve as interim president. Anderson will "continue to provide consulting services to the museum during the transition."

He has been scrutinized for his priorities, adding to the turmoil of near-constant turnover in senior positions at the museum over the past few years.

In 2014, Anderson co-hosted with Mayor Mike Rawlings the 2014 New Cities Summit in Dallas, a program of his new employer's, and has participated in its other summits in Paris, Sao Paolo, and Jakarta.

"After nearly four years at the Dallas Museum of Art, I have decided to accept a compelling new opportunity at the New Cities Foundation, among the most innovative urban-focused enterprises in the world," said Anderson in the release. "It has been a great privilege to work alongside the board and staff of the DMA, and to play a role in helping shape the Dallas Arts District Foundation as its chairman since 2013.

"My growing interest in how cultural districts can shape cities led me to this new, exciting opportunity in New York City."

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Downtown Dallas news

Dallas Arts District picks Dallas College leader as executive director

Photo by Jaren Collins

Ahava Silkey-Jones

The Dallas Arts District has found its next leader: Ahava Silkey-Jones has been named executive director of the nonprofit that supports and promotes the downtown Dallas cultural district. She succeeds longtime executive director Lily Weiss, who retired earlier this year after more than a decade in the role.

Silkey-Jones joins the Dallas Arts District from Dallas College, where she served as vice provost of the School of Creative Arts, Entertainment and Design, a release notes. During her tenure, she led academic strategy, programming, and industry partnerships across seven campuses.

She brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education, nonprofit leadership, arts administration, and civic engagement.

"The Dallas Arts District is one of America's great cultural neighborhoods — a place where creativity inspires community, strengthens the economy and enriches everyday life," Silkey-Jones says in the release. "We have an incredible opportunity to elevate the District's national and global profile while creating an even more welcoming, connected and vibrant place for everyone who lives, works and visits here."

The leadership change comes after a busy year for the 118-acre district, which encompasses 19 cultural institutions and is billed as the nation's largest contiguous urban arts district. The district recently adopted a strategic plan centered on advocacy, placemaking, public safety, infrastructure, programming, and long-term growth, they say.

The area also took on a higher profile during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosting the RedBall Dallas public art installation and four major festivals that brought hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors downtown, they say.

Board chair Warren Tranquada, who is also president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, says Silkey-Jones has built a career around creating partnerships among the arts, education, and community organizations.

"This organization's role in shaping downtown's quality of life, economic vitality and global identity has never been more important," Tranquada says. "Ahava has spent her career bringing people together across sectors to create lasting community impact."

Silkey-Jones has received several recent honors, including the 2025 Obelisk Award from the Business Council for the Arts and recognition as one of Women We Admire's Top Women Leaders. She holds degrees from Harvard University, Roosevelt University, and DePaul University and serves on several local and national arts and education boards.

Former board chair Jill Magnuson, who stepped in as interim executive director following Weiss' retirement, will return to serving as a volunteer leader.

“Jill's leadership during this transition was invaluable,” Tranquada says. “She provided stability while also helping establish a clear vision for the future. Her work has left the organization stronger, and we are grateful she will continue supporting the Dallas Arts District as a volunteer leader.”

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