Mariah Keller was named executive director of Wrightwood 659 on Jan. 12. She succeeds Jan Kallish, who led the Lincoln Park exhibition space since 2021.
“I’m really honored that I’ve been given this opportunity,” Keller said. “I’m excited to learn from the staff here and also through the experience of working with new artists.”
As executive director, Keller will oversee all aspects of Wrightwood 659’s operations, including managing the building, shaping exhibitions, planning public programs and events and producing exhibition publications.
Founded in 2018, Wrightwood 659 presents exhibitions focused on socially engaged art and architecture. Recent exhibitions include a large-scale survey of LGBTQ+ art spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a Joffrey Ballet retrospective and the work of queer artist Scott Burton.
Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Wrightwood 659 is a repurposed 1920s apartment building. Its preserved red-brick exterior contrasts with Ando’s signature minimalist interior of exposed concrete and geometric forms. The entire top floor, added during the renovation, features floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light.
“It’s a very important architectural space that is unique to Chicago, in a city that is known for its architecture,” Keller said.
While Keller said Wrightwood 659’s distinct design poses a new challenge, she’s confident she can manage the space effectively, drawing on her experience in other architecturally significant museums.
She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a bachelor’s degree in art history and has held positions at two museums designed by the renowned Chinese architect I. M. Pei: most recently as interim director and editor-in-chief of her alma mater’s Eskenazi Museum of Art, and previously at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The Indiana native also ran her own consulting business in Chicago from 2004-2015, advising museums and art book publishers around the world.
“I’m so excited to be back in Chicago,” Keller said. “I always have told people over the years that I would jump at the chance to come back here and live here. I love this city.”
Keller’s other professional roles include head of publications and digital media at the Saint Louis Art Museum, senior editor at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art and editor at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Outside of seeking a new challenge in her career, Keller said she was drawn to the museum’s mission to uplift underrepresented voices, specifically LGBTQ+ and Asian artists.
“We have an important role to play,” Keller said. “It’s a challenging environment for museums right now to be able to work on shows like we do here.”
Last March, the Trump administration attempted to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent agency that awards federal grant funding to museums and libraries across the country. As a result, many museums in the state of Illinois temporarily lost funding until the IMLS was reinstated last month.
Despite President Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Wrightwood 659 has remained steadfast in its commitment to showcasing art by marginalized groups.
Wrightwood 659’s 2026 spring and summer season will feature two retrospectives. “Martin Wong: Chinatown USA” will include more than 100 paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs by the Chinese American queer artist. “Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present” will have over 40 pieces from artists across Latin America, examining the effects of European colonialism. Both exhibitions will be on display from April 17 to July 18.
Keller said she plans to build on Wrightwood’s legacy of presenting socially engaged work while also expanding its reach.
“I hope it’s going to be a place where everybody feels welcome and feels like they find something that they can connect with,” Keller said.
