Declan Kiely Named The New York Public Library’s Director of Exhibitions

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017 – The New York Public Library has named Declan Kiely as its new Director of Exhibitions. Kiely was most recently the Morgan Library and Museum’s Robert H. Taylor Curator and Head of the Department of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, and will begin his tenure at the Library on October 10, 2017.  Kiely will develop and oversee exhibitions at the Library’s iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, showcasing the Library’s vast research collections to make them more accessible to the public. 

“We’re delighted to welcome Declan Kiely as NYPL’s Director of Exhibitions,” said William Kelly, NYPL’s Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries. “This is a critical role for the Library, as we redouble our efforts to make our remarkable holdings accessible to the broadest possible public. Declan’s performance at the Morgan has been exemplary in every way.  We anticipate his arrival with enthusiasm.”

“This is a homecoming—my career began at The New York Public Library’s Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection,” said Kiely. “I am honored to work with NYPL’s talented exhibitions staff and curators to present the Library’s unsurpassable treasures and world class collections in a dynamic exhibition program. I look forward to developing innovative, accessible and engaging exhibitions that will deeply resonate with diverse audiences. This is a vital and exciting moment to return to The New York Public Library.”

Kiely has been in his role at the Morgan since 2007, and during his time there curated major exhibitions focusing on Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Abraham Lincoln and, most recently, Henry James and American Painting (which will open at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, after it closes at the Morgan).  His 2015 exhibition Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars was shown not only at the Morgan, but also at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. His writing has appeared in many scholarly monographs and journals. Kiely served as a Specialist in the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature at NYPL from 2003 until 2007, before joining the Morgan. 

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Nora Lyons| noralyons@nypl.org

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