NEW YORK.-New York, November 28, 2007 — After almost 11 years, Annette Blaugrund, Director of the National Academy Museum & School of Fine Arts, announced her resignation on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, effective December 31, 2007. Dr. Blaugrund has raised the visibility of this esteemed institution with prominent yearly exhibitions (accompanied by scholarly catalogues) that traveled to museums across the United States bringing the Academy to national attention. She has also worked with the artist members to upgrade the art school and the Academy’s educational programs. Dr. Blaugrund will now turn her attention to a long deferred book she has been writing and to working as an art consultant.

During Dr. Blaugrund’s tenure, she has kept the Academy’s Beaux-Arts buildings intact and made critical improvements, including renovation of galleries and installation of an electronically controlled climate system. As Director she computerized and networked the staff, launched a website, digitized images from the collection, catalogued and conserved the historical library, restored many works of art in the permanent collection, and improved and increased storage for works in the Academy’s ever expanding collection. In addition, she has facilitated the publishing of Volume I of the collection catalogue (1825-1925) and has raised money to begin volume II (1926 – 2006).

Dr. Blaugrund has also raised funds outside of the Academy’s small endowment to support all of these projects, the latest of which is the cataloguing of the historic archives, an important documentation of the history of American Art which will be accessible to a worldwide audience.

“The Academy has made great strides in the last ten years and I am proud to have been part of this effort,” wrote Dr. Blaugrund. “It has been a distinct honor for me to work with a number of outstanding artists, members of the Council, and a superb staff as well as a dedicated Advisory Board who provide both financial and professional support. Several important initiatives to insure financial and physical stability in the future are in process and I wish the Academy every success in the exciting years ahead.”