Thomas M. Messer

Thomas M. Messer served as the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation for 27 years, overseeing both the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. His tenure remains the longest of any director at a major New York City arts institution. An art historian, curator, and theorist, Messer played a significant role in the development and international expansion of the Guggenheim's collections and programming.