Lux Art Institute names new executive director

Lux Art Institute in Encinitas has selected Kathleen Stoughton as its new executive director following a national search.

Prior to founding her own art consulting business, Stoughton was director of the University Art Gallery at UC San Diego for nearly 12 years. At UC San Diego, she curated more than 30 contemporary art exhibits, several of which traveled internationally. She also launched an international artist-in-residence program, created and directed a multi-disciplinary kindergarten through 12th grade outreach program for the UC San Diego Division of Arts and Humanities, and taught curatorial practice classes at the university.

In addition, Stoughton founded San Diego County's first Museum Studies Program at San Diego Mesa College where she was professor and art gallery director from 1988-1994. Many of her students have obtained museum and faculty positions nationally at institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Art Museum, Bard College, and numerous other institutions.

Prior to her position at San Diego Mesa College, Stoughton completed a curatorial fellowship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and was a development officer at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Art where she launched their first national collectors’ group and secured the donation of a major American art collection for the museum. She has also been a member of the education staff at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Stoughton holds master's degrees in art history and museum studies from the University of Southern California where she trained under the direction of Professor Selma Holo at the USC Fisher Art Museum.

Some of Stoughton's awards and accolades include the coveted Smithsonian Outstanding Achievement Award, San Diego Industry-Education Council's Outstanding Educator Award, YMCA's Tribute to Women in Industry Award and San Diego Union Tribune's "Best Exhibitions of the Year."

Stoughton has also been a devoted volunteer for the San Diego community serving on the board of directors and committees for more than 20 local organizations, including the Museum of Photographic Arts, the Balboa Art Conservation Center, InSite, San Diego Center for Children, La Jolla Music Society, Mainly Mozart, Moore's Cancer Center, and Scripps Hospital. — Submitted news release