Newark Museum of Art Names Trailblazing Scientist as New Director and CEO

Lisa Funderburke began work as director and CEO at the Newark Museum of Art on Sunday. Her salary is $400,000. The board made the announcement on Jan. 23.

Funderburke, 55, earned a bachelor's degree in botany. She also holds a master's degree in biology from Howard University. Board members said they want her to "integrate both science and art into the museum experience."

"Lisa brings to the museum a unique breadth and depth of experience as a museum and arts leader," said Peter Englot, chair of the board, in the Jan. 23 announcement, per NJ.com.

The Long Island native spent ten years as president and CEO at the Artist Communities Alliance in Providence, Rhode Island. That group supports artists and residency programs across the United States and in other countries. She worked as an associate director at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Lisa Funderburke has connections with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Performing Arts Alliance, Orion Magazine, the Center for Cultural Innovation, and the Grantmakers in the Arts' Individual Artist Committee. Some know her as Lisa Funderburke Hoffman.

"Museums are most vital when they are responsive, collaborative, and deeply connected to the communities they serve," Funderburke said in a statement, according to NJ.com. "Throughout my career, I have seen how cultural institutions function as essential civic infrastructure."

She takes over from Linda C. Harrison, who said in November 2024 that she would leave after six years. Harrison grew the institution's reputation. She built stronger ties with nearby residents and businesses. She oversaw plans for 250 apartments and 4,216 square feet of gallery space on the downtown campus along Washington Place.

Mayor Ras J. Baraka praised the new leader's "artistic sensibilities, appreciation for analytical data, passion for the world around us, and belief in the transformative agency of people."

The private nonprofit holds more than 300,000 works. The collection focuses on African, Asian, and American paintings and sculpture. It includes a 1784 schoolhouse. The adjacent John Ballantine House stands nearby — a restored mansion that once belonged to one of Newark's 19th-century beer barons.

As of last year, the institution had a budget of $18 million. Staff included 86 full-time workers and 69 part-time workers on a 4-acre campus. The building anchors the eastern end of the Newark Arts & Entertainment District, which was conceived by Harrison and designated by Baraka.