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Children’s Museum Lands MCASD's Rachel Teagle as New Executive Director
April 20 , 2007—The Children’s Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego has named Rachel Teagle, current curator and co-department head at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, as its new executive director, announced Laurie Mitchell, president of the board of directors for the Children’s Museum San Diego.
With a PhD in art history from Stanford University, Teagle has developed programming and exhibitions for a broad audience for more than a decade. She has been curator at several prestigious institutions in California, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Additionally, she was recently involved with the opening of the new MCASD downtown facility in the historic Santa Fe Depot. With her new position at the Children’s Museum, Teagle will oversee every aspect of the museum’s operations and the launch of its new downtown location.
“I am excited and honored to lead the Children’s Museum at such an auspicious moment in its history,” said Teagle. “This museum has an impressive legacy and its beautiful new facility will offer so much to San Diego families.”
The Museum is raising funds for its new structure, a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building. The modern structure was designed by renowned architect Rob Wellington Quigley and is the first “green” building in downtown San Diego. In conjunction with the board of directors, current Executive Director Kay Wagner spearheaded the development plans of the new Museum with the stated goal to create a world-class facility dedicated to inspiration and enrichment through the arts.
“The Children’s Museum is undertaking its greatest transformation since its founding more than 25 years ago and with a decade of curatorial experience under her belt, Rachel Teagle is the perfect candidate for the position of executive director,” said Wagner. “It has been an honor to be part of something so special and I am confident I am leaving the Museum in good hands.”
Wagner will be retiring May 31.
Vertical construction began on the new Children’s Museum last June and the grand opening is planned for May 2008.
The three story facility located at 200 West Island Avenue in downtown San Diego will include art galleries featuring participatory installations designed by contemporary artists, studios, and classrooms, in addition to a public charter school, birthday party rooms, store, and café. The adjacent Museum Park will include outdoor works by artists and space for children to create art. The environmentally friendly structure is made from recycled building materials and will feature water-saving devices, natural day lighting and convection cooling making it a “green” building.
According to Mitchell, the goal of the Capital Campaign is to raise $28 million. The largest portion of this, $25 million, is funding the construction of the new downtown facility and the remaining $3 million will be held as an endowment to help fund the day-to-day operations of the Museum. Donations are still being sought and contributions can be made on-line or by phoning the Capital Campaign Director Carolyn Clark at 619 233 8792 x107.
The Children’s Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego is a cultural and educational institution with more than a quarter-century history of arts-based programs for children and their families. For more information on the Museum , visit its website at childrensmuseumsd.org.
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