Diana Magaloni

Leader scholar Innovator

“Wherever life takes me I can recognize the common source of our dreams and longings, of our fears and joys—deeply listening to the dialogue.”

Dr. Diana Magaloni has led a versatile career over the past 35 years as museum leader, art historian, author, curator, and conservator. As Deputy Director at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), she leads an innovative mentoring and curatorial program as the Head Curator of the Department of Art of the Ancient Americas and serves as Director of the museum’s Conservation Center. In these capacities she has secured the support of three important cultural foundations (Mellon, GRoW and Greenberg), who have invested unprecedented funds in the work she champions. Her impact extends beyond her innovative approach to the study and stewardship of Ancient American works of art. She has also created programs that seek to implement community-based best practices, fostering a sense of connection and involvement among the public, and the mentorship of the next generation of leaders in the field. The work that she and her team do with communities and countries of origin has been documented in film, and her books and exhibitions have won awards for excellence. She is an active member of the administrative team leading the museum, both as curator and administrator.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Dr. Magaloni was Director of the National Museum of Anthropology—Mexico’s internationally well-respected national museum and the largest in the county. Due to her vision and abilities as public speaker she was a successful fundraiser. She worked as a researcher and professor at the National University of Mexico. Dr. Magaloni’s research has been characterized by innovation, collaborating with artists, scholars and scientists in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Her unique approach combines art history with scientific analysis of works of art, a method that has influenced many in the field. She inspires audiences with her storytelling bridging the gap between academia and the general public; she was a speaker in National Geographic Live with sold out performances across the US. She works closely with contemporary artists, commissioning and curating works that bridge the past with the present; she is currently working with Mariana Castillo Deball on the design and making of the plaza floor for Peter Zumthor’s Geffern Galleries at LACMA.

To learn more about her career trajectory, please visit the following page.