Sanjit Sethi
Alumni
ACT alumnus Sanjit Sethi (SMVisS ’02) has been named as the next president of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), a post which he will assume on July 15.
Born in Rochester, New York, Sanjit received a BFA in 1994 from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, an MFA in 1998 from the University of Georgia, and an MS in advanced visual studies in 2002 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sanjit has lectured widely on issues related to culture, creativity, and equity, and has taught at several institutions around the world including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Memphis College of Art; the Shristi School of Art, Design and Technology; and the California College of the Arts.
Press release below from Artforum:
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) has appointed Sanjit Sethi as its next president. The artist and academic most recently directed the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University. When he takes office on July 15, he will succeed Jay Coogan, who served as president of MCAD for nine years. Coogan stepped down in September 2018 and Karen Wirth has been serving as interim president.
“Sanjit Sethi has dedicated himself to art and design education with the belief that innovation, diversity, and a global perspective are key to vibrant creative communities,” said Greg Heinemann, MCAD board chair. “He is an educator and cultural academic leader with a broad range of experiences who is poised to lead MCAD into the future. We are thrilled to have him join the MCAD community as its new leader.” David Moore, Jr., the search committee’s chair added that Sethi joins MCAD at a time of stability and record enrollment for the institution.
During his tenure at the Corcoran, oversaw the $47.5 million renovation of the school’s historic Flagg building and launched new degree programs. Prior to the Corcoran, Sethi served in a variety of arts leadership positions, including as director of the MFA program at the Memphis College of Art and executive director of the Santa Fe Art Institute. Among his recent curatorial projects are “Spiked: The Unpublished Political Cartoons of Rob Rogers” and the upcoming exhibition “6.13.89 The Cancelling of the Mapplethorpe Exhibition.” Commenting on his new role, he said: “I am honored to become a part of the incredible legacy of leaders at MCAD, and I hope to bring my insights and passion to collaborate with this remarkable community.”