As the Frick Collection in Manhattan prepares to start a new chapter in its renovated Gilded Age mansion early next year, the board on Thursday selected as its next leader Axel Rüger, the secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
In the spring of 2025, Rüger, 56, will replace Ian Wardropper, 73, who will have served as director for nearly 14 years of one of the great private collections of European old master paintings and decorative arts.
“He brings steady, strategic insight, as well as a proven ability to inspire and guide dynamic teams to great achievement,” Elizabeth M. Eveillard, the board chairwoman, said of Rüger, in a statement. “As we prepare to embark on a new era for the Frick, I am confident in his ability to steer us well.”
The selection is likely to surprise some observers, given that Wardropper, in announcing his departure last January, said that it would be great if his replacement came “from within” and that he hoped that Xavier F. Salomon, the deputy director and chief curator, would “be one of the candidates.”
Calling leadership of the Frick “an irresistible proposition,” Rüger, in the statement, said, “It’s an exciting time to reopen, develop exciting programs for loyal visitors, and welcome new audiences.”
