With the Seattle Art Museum‘s roller coaster of a year thus far (the last piece of news came late last month, with things seeming to be more on the up at the moment), they’ve just taken on a new director to step into the middle of the fray. The museum has announced that Derrick Cartwright will be taking over for Mimi Gates, who is leaving after fifteen years there, as of June. Cartwright comes in from the San Diego Museum of Art, which he has led for the past five years, reportedly growing it quite a bit in short order. But we have a feeling that as long as he can help stabilize Seattle, that would be enough to make everyone happy. Here’s a bit about both his past and future:

In San Diego, Cartwright is credited with building the Balboa Park museum’s international reputation, reaching out to a diverse community and enhancing the exhibitions and publications programs. When he moves to the Northwest, he will oversee an urban cultural center with three locations: the Seattle Art Museum downtown, the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Olympic Sculpture Park.