NEW YORK, NY.- Dia Art Foundation has appointed Abby Bangser as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives. She is currently the Artistic Director of Frieze Art Fairs for the Americas and Asia. In this newly created position Bangser will occupy a key leadership role, working closely with Dia's Director, Jessica Morgan, and the senior management team to advance the strategic priorities of the institution and serve as the main liaison for Dia's sites around the United States and beyond. Her appointment begins in July 2017.

"We are delighted to welcome Abby Bangser to Dia. She has a wide range of experience that will be invaluable in this role," said Jessica Morgan, Director, Dia Art Foundation. "As Dia evolves, the need for strategic planning and focused partnerships becomes even more critical to support our mission. Her perspective will help bring to Dia's many sites greater prominence and understanding."

"I have long admired Dia's collection, programs, and unique role as a steward for the constellation of sites it maintains in New York, the American West, and internationally," said Abby Bangser. "Jessica Morgan's arrival as Director in 2015 marked the beginning of a new era for Dia. I am very excited to work with her, the Board of Trustees, the senior management team, and the talented staff to contribute to Dia's dynamic future."

Bangser has been Artistic Director of Frieze Art Fairs for the Americas and Asia since 2015. As a member of Frieze's management team, she led the fairs' collector, gallery, and institutional relationships in the Americas and Asia and was responsible for building the Frieze community at both an international and local level. She also focused on the curated gallery sections and talks programs for Frieze in New York and London.

Before joining Frieze, she was the founding head of the Americas Foundation of the Serpentine Galleries in London, an organization that brings together philanthropists from North and South America who support the Serpentine's exhibitions and programs of artists from the Americas. She also served as the Director of Annual Giving Programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and previously worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.