The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has named Jacqueline Stewart as the institution’s director and president.

Stewart replaces Bill Kramer, who last week was appointed as CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She will assume her new role on July 18.

Ted Sarandos, chair of the Academy Museum’s board of trustees and co-CEO of Netflix, said, “The board warmly and unanimously agrees that Jacqueline Stewart is the ideal choice to lead the Academy Museum into the future. A strong and inspiring partner to Bill Kramer throughout the period leading up to our opening, she gave indispensable direction to the curatorial program that has been so widely admired. Her assumption of the role of director and president is a testament to both the intellectual heft of the Academy Museum and its institutional strength.”

In the new role, Stewart will will guide the vision of the Academy Museum and oversee all aspects of its operations.

Kramer called it a “great privilege to work hand-in-hand with Jacqueline.” He said, “I know the museum will thrive thanks to her rare combination of expertise, creativity, and proven leadership. Like movie fans everywhere, I am so thankful to have her guide the future of the Academy Museum.”

In 2020, Stewart was appointed chief artistic and programming officer of the museum. As a leading scholar, curator, and public educator on cinema, she put together exhibitions and programs. She led the strategy for the Academy Museum’s curatorial, educational and public programming initiatives, including exhibitions, screenings, symposia, publications, workshops and youth programs.

One of Stewart’s newest initiatives is the Academy Museum Podcast, which she hosted. The podcast’s first season went behind the scenes of touchstone Academy Awards ceremonies, featuring a breadth of interviews and conversations.

Stewart remarked, “Our ambition in opening the Academy Museum was to give Los Angeles and the world an unprecedented institution for understanding and appreciating the history and culture of cinema, in all its artistic glory and all its power to influence and reflect society. I feel deeply honored to have been chosen for this new role and look forward to working with our Board of Trustees, our COO and general counsel Brendan Connell Jr., our wonderfully, talented staff, and with Bill Kramer and the Academy, as we continue to advance our mission.”

In addition to new role, Stewart holds an appointment as professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Chicago, and previously served on the faculty of Northwestern University.

Stewart’s efforts in expanding public understanding of cinema and bringing film history to life has included her award-winning book “Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity,” a study of African Americans and silent cinema, and her co-editorship of “L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema.”

Since its successful opening less than a year ago, the museum has sold more than 550,000 tickets in the first nine months of operation.

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