Frick Appoints Caitlin Henningsen as Ayesha Bulchandani Head of Education and Public Engagement
New York (September 9, 2026) — The Frick Collection announced the appointment of Caitlin Henningsen as its new Ayesha Bulchandani Head of Education and Public Engagement. She takes up the role at the helm of the institution’s Education Department starting September 21, 2026.
Commented Axel Rüger, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, “The Frick’s education program has long been a cornerstone of our mission. It has evolved and grown substantially over the years thanks to a cohort of deeply committed staff members, in which Caitlin has played an increasingly essential role. Since our recent renovation and reopening, her expertise and creativity have been vital as we reintroduce the Frick’s programming and activate our new purpose-built education spaces. We are thrilled that her vision for engaging the public will flourish in this critical leadership position.”
Added Aimee Ng, Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, “Caitlin stood out in a highly competitive search process thanks to her singular approaches to and experience with academic and public programs in museum spaces. Her expertise in gallery teaching is remarkable, and her writing on interpreting art within historic settings remains a touchstone both within the institution and in the field at large. With a very busy fall season ahead, we are excited to have Caitlin in place to steward the Education Department and to grow and launch innovative programs that will reinscribe the Frick’s role as a leader in museum education.”
Henningsen studied art history as an undergraduate at Wesleyan University and did her graduate work in the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University. She joined the Frick in 2007 as a curatorial assistant and has been a member of the museum’s Education Department since 2015, first as a Samuel H. Kress Interpretive Fellow. In 2016, she was appointed Associate Museum Educator for College and University Programs and was promoted to Managing Educator for Research and Teaching in 2022. She has served as interim head of the Education Department since March 2026.
Throughout her tenure, Henningsen has championed gallery teaching and public programming of the highest quality, drawing on a deep knowledge of the Frick’s permanent collection, buildings, and history. She has overseen the institution’s gallery teaching staff and led engaging offerings for the public, such as close-looking sessions focused on single objects and popular online conversation programs. In addition, she has coordinated programming for emerging scholars, notably the annual graduate student Symposium on the History of Art (held jointly with NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts), and, in her most recent role, has strengthened the Frick’s relationships with local colleges and universities.
As interim head of education, Henningsen oversaw the relaunch of the museum’s in-person gallery interpretation and other expanded programming—including student visits, private tours, and offerings in the new Ian Wardropper Education Room, from art-making sessions to exhibition talks. She was also integral to the development of the Frick’s highly popular Louis Vuitton First Fridays. A gifted communicator and ambassador for the institution, Henningsen has represented the Frick at numerous public events and scholarly programs. She has also been conducting extensive research on the early twentieth-century household staff at 1 East 70th Street—to be published in the forthcoming book Untold Stories: Domestic Service at the Frick Mansion, 1914–1931—about which she spoke in a lively podcast episode last year.
Commented Henningsen, “The Frick stands out among New York City museums as an intimate collection of unparalleled masterpieces in a unique historic setting. As an educator, I often think about the quite human goal articulated in the museum’s founding language: that it should be a place for ‘all persons whomsoever.’ I am excited to step into the leadership of the Education Department in pursuit of this goal, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with colleagues across the Frick—from our curatorial, music, and horticulture teams to membership, visitor services, the Frick Art Research Library, and beyond—as we engage with a wide range of audiences who find deep meaning and connection in our collection.”
About The Frick Collection
Housed in one of New York City’s last great Gilded Age homes, The Frick Collection provides intimate encounters with one of the world’s foremost collections of fine and decorative arts. Open since 1935, the institution originated with Henry Clay Frick, who bequeathed his Fifth Avenue residence and collection of European paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts for the enjoyment of the public. The museum’s holdings, which encompass masterworks from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century, have grown over the decades, more than doubling in number since the opening of the museum. The Frick Art Research Library, founded more than one hundred years ago by Henry Clay Frick’s daughter, Helen Clay Frick, is a leading art history research center that serves students, scholars, and the public.
For more information, please visit frick.org.