Cyra Levenson

As head of the Guggenheim’s Education and Public Engagement Department Cyra Levenson leads the museum’s efforts to reach a broad audience through programming, content development, academic partnerships and community engagement. Levenson has a significant role in partnering across the foundation’s international network. Prior to joining the Guggenheim Museum in March 2020, Levenson was the Deputy Director and Head of Public and Academic Engagement at Cleveland Museum of Art. In this role, she was responsible for leading all aspects of public and academic engagement, including public programming, academic affairs, interpretation of the collection and exhibitions, and community engagement. In Cleveland she also established a community arts center and led efforts to implement the museum’s diversity, equity, and inclusion plan.

Previously, Levenson served as the Curator of Education and Academic Outreach at the Yale Center for British Art. During her tenure at theYale she helped to launch Making the Invisible Visible: Art Identity and Hierarchies of Power in collaboration with Dr. Robert Rock, a workshop that is now included in the orientation program for all medical students. Levenson has also held positions in the museum education field at The Rubin Museum of Art, The Heritage School in New York, and Seattle Art Museum. She holds a Master of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College. She has published on topics including creativity and cognition, visual literacy, and critical pedagogy.