Lucia Simek, executive director of Dallas Contemporary, will step down after a year and a half leading the museum, according to an announcement released Friday afternoon by the organization.
“I am proud of what we’ve accomplished in my time at the Dallas Contemporary,” Simek said in the press release. “Together with my talented team, we’ve made DC a vital place in our community, bringing in diverse audiences to engage with the art of our time.”
Simek will leave the role as the new year begins to focus on her artistic practices, curatorial work and writing. Her next major project includes Occiput, a forthcoming book published by Deep Vellum Publishing, examining artists Forrest Bess, Alberto Burri and Myron Stout and their ties to Texas.
Simek led a slate of exhibitions and programs that expanded Dallas Contemporary’s national profile and emphasized experimental work. She launched DC Empty, a performance series that utilized unused gallery space with short-term exhibitions of dance, theater and time-based art.
Recent performances under the initiative included Water Work, a duet by dance artists Lauren Kravitz and Shantel Prado, and Match Point, a public performance by the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group incorporating movement and interactive elements.
Simek also expanded programming tied to the Dallas Art Book Fair, an annual free event that draws regional, national and international artists, publishers and presses. With the addition of author talks and small exhibitions, the fair became Dallas Contemporary’s most-attended program.
Her curatorial work included exhibitions featuring artists who have not been shown in Dallas including “Pam Evelyn: Salvaged Future,” the first U.S. solo exhibition of the London-based painter; “You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry,” a group exhibition curated by Su Wu; and “Masahiro LaMarsh: Anticlastic,” which explored jewelry and sculpture through custom “grillz.”
Simek will continue to collaborate with the institution in 2026 through the Dallas Contemporary North Texas Graduate Program, which she launched last year. The initiative provides mentorship and institutional experience for University of North Texas MFA students.
Simek joined the DC in 2022 as deputy director. She became interim director in July 2024 and was named the director earlier this year. Before joining DC, she led communications and international programs at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
The DC will begin a 5-year strategic planning process and begin the search for a new executive director in January. Board members Ann McReynolds and Rod Sager will serve as interim directors during the search.
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