After five years of leading the Honolulu Museum of Art, Halona Norton-Westbrook announced Tuesday that she will step down as director and CEO on May 16. She took the helm of Hawaiʻi's renowned art museum during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m sad to be leaving, but I feel confident that the museum is in an incredible place and is positioned to thrive for decades and through the next century,” she told HPR.
Norton-Westbrook will assume a new role as director of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas. She starts July 1.
Mike Watanabe, chair of HoMA's board of trustees, commended her steadfast leadership.
“Under her guidance, HoMA has recruited top talent to key positions, reconceptualized the Museum’s teaching curriculum and built deeper connections through partnerships, programs and exhibitions that reflect diverse perspectives,” Watanabe said in a news release.
The board will begin a national search — with aid from a professional search firm — for her successor, according to the news release.
Norton-Westbrook said she’s had many accomplishments at HoMA and that leaving “feels like the right moment for me.”
“This opportunity is the right one for this juncture in my career,” she said. “But I have a deep affection for the Honolulu Museum of Art.”
Norton-Westbrook took over as head of HoMA in 2020, making her the third female director in the history of HoMA, which celebrates its centennial in 2027.
She was commended for helping to increase museum attendance by 70% from pre-pandemic numbers. She also grew museum engagement through art school classes, museum tours and more.
She was one of 11 people appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2022 to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services. She is serving a five-year term.
