BIRMINGHAM, AL.- The Birmingham Museum of Art is pleased to announce the appointment of Chantal Drake as its new James Milton and Sallie R. Johnson Deputy Director. Drake will assume the role on January 17.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chantal to our leadership team at the Birmingham Museum of Art,” says Graham C. Boettcher, R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. “Chantal’s extensive fundraising and marketing experience in the visual arts will help propel our ambitious goals and objectives as we work to realize a new strategic plan.”

In the role of Deputy Director, Drake will work alongside the Director to develop strategies and organizational structures for carrying out the Museum’s mission, and implementing the vision and strategic plan. Other primary responsibilities include oversight of various Museum departments, management of daily operations, and relationship cultivation with government and community partners.

“My love of museums began at The Birmingham Museum of Art,” says Drake. “I'm honored to now join the organization that had such a huge impact on me and my career. I look forward to working with leadership on the established direction of the BMA and strengthening ties with the Birmingham community.”

Since 2019, Chantal Drake has served as the Director of Development and Communications at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee. In that role, she managed the fundraising, membership, and corporate partnership programs, along with the public relations and marketing for the museum and gardens. Additionally, she helped develop and steer strategies to prioritize DEAI in museum programming, audience development, and governance for the Dixon. She previously worked as Director of Communications and as Communications Associate for the Dixon, and as an adjunct professor at the Memphis College of Art. 

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Chantal has a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a master’s degree in art history, with a Museum Studies Certification from the University of Memphis. She completed the Getty Leadership Institute program in 2019.