Weisman Art Museum names Elliot Josephine Leila Reichert curator
New senior curator to expand modernist collection and shape museum's vision.
A black-and-white portrait of Leila Reichert, incoming senior curator at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (photo Garrett Ann Walters, courtesy Leila Reichert) (Photo via Hyperallergic)
The Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota has selected Elliot Josephine Leila Reichert to serve as its new senior curator. The appointment follows a national search conducted by an interdepartmental committee at the university.
Reichert is a writer, critic, and editor who previously spent seven years as the inaugural curator of contemporary art at the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University. Her professional background also includes serving as the art editor for Newcity and as an assistant curator at the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University. She was a 2023–24 Propel Fellow with the Association of Art Museum Curators Foundation and received an Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant in 2025.
The museum announced the hiring on Nov. 2, 2026. Reichert is scheduled to begin her tenure on Jan. 11, 2027. In her new role, she plans to focus on expanding the institution's American modernist art collection while providing mentorship to the curatorial team.
Regarding her new position, Reichert stated that she intends to help define the museum's curatorial vision. She noted that she has long admired the institution's artistic program and its commitment to the diverse communities of Minneapolis. She added that she is proud to begin working toward the museum's mission of prioritizing empathy and justice.