The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has named one of its former executives, Bill Kramer, as its new director. The previous director, Kerry Brougher, had exited in August after the museum’s opening was again postponed.
Kramer had served as managing director of development and external relations from 2012 to 2016, when he oversaw production of the museum’s Hollywood Costume exhibit, which drew more than 78,000 visitors. He was more recently VP of development at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Located adjacent to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on the site of the former May Co. department store, the museum was originally set to open in 2017 and is currently expected to open sometime in 2020.
“The board unanimously welcomes Bill Kramer as the Academy Museum’s new director,” said Ron Meyer, chair of the Academy Museum board of trustees and vice chairman of NBCUniversal. “Bill’s experience and influence in the worlds of design, culture, and academia, coupled with his institutional knowledge of the museum, position him as an ideal leader to guide the museum to its opening and beyond.”
“We are all very enthusiastic about working with Bill again,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said. “He was an early leader of this project — a visionary who shepherded the initial design and construction process, and helped define the Academy Museum’s identity. In his recent work at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, he helped execute a ground-breaking expansion of BAM’s visual art program, attracting and connecting with broad and diverse worldwide audiences. We’re confident he will inspire our creative teams and lead the Academy Museum to successful completion.”
“I have a deep connection to the Academy Museum,” Kramer said. “I am so looking forward to working again with the museum’s creative teams, staff, and partners as we prepare to open the doors of our spectacular campus. As I felt when I helped to launch this project, I am confident that we are building the world’s greatest museum experience dedicated to movies.”
