FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 22, 2025
Jeff Nathanson Named Interim Executive Director of Richmond Art Center
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Nathanson as Interim Executive Director. Nathanson will serve in this role while the organization’s current Executive Director, José R. Rivera, is on medical leave. Rivera warmly welcomes the decision, stating, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jeff, and we are on the same wavelength. Jeff’s appointment represents continuity for Richmond Art Center.”
Nathanson is a veteran arts administrator and curator with deep ties to Richmond Art Center. He served as the Center’s Executive Director from 1991 to 2000 and recently returned to curate Time & Time: The Art of John Wehrle, a major retrospective exhibition presented earlier this year.
In announcing his appointment as interim ED, Nathanson stated, “I am proud of our accomplishments when I was RAC Executive Director early in my career, and it felt like a homecoming curating John Wehrle’s recent exhibition. I look forward to working with Richmond Art Center’s excellent staff and board, and the community, as we look forward to the 90th anniversary and beyond.”
Nathanson brings over 30 years of leadership experience to the role. Most recently, he retired as Executive Director of the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa (2017-2024). Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the Arts Council of Princeton (2005-2016), where he led a major capital campaign to build a new arts center (designed by renowned architect Michael Graves) in downtown Princeton, New Jersey. Earlier in his career, he was Special Projects Curator for the Princeton University Art Museum and Director-President of the International Sculpture Center in Hamilton, New Jersey. Prior to his time as RAC Executive Director he was Director of San Francisco Open Studios.
Nathanson studied fine arts and arts management at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He also holds a graduate certificate in nonprofit fundraising from the Indiana University School of Philanthropy.
Board President Nettie Hoge welcomed Nathanson’s appointment, saying, “Jeff’s sincere devotion to the history and the mission of the Center combined with his wealth of knowledge and experience make him the perfect person to lead RAC right now. He has what it takes to put the organization on a truly sustainable path as it enters its 90th year of operations in 2026.”
Nathanson joins the organization at a critical time, as Richmond Art Center navigates the temporary absence of its Executive Director and an increasingly uncertain fundraising landscape.
“Like many arts organizations, Richmond Art Center is facing real challenges,” Nathanson added. “But I believe strongly in the resilience of this community and RAC’s potential to become a stronger sustainable organization”.
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with the community since 1936. Our programs include classes, exhibitions, and events at our facility in Richmond’s Civic Center, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art experiences to WCCUSD schools and community partners. richmondartcenter.org
Images: Richmond Art Center (top); Jeff Nathanson (middle)
For more information contact:
Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org, 646-301-1307
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