George G. King is a distinguished museum director, curator, and arts professional whose career has significantly contributed to the landscape of art museum programming and exhibition development. Born in Mexico City and raised in Algiers, Algeria; Bamako, Mali; Kinshasa, Congo; and France before settling in New York City, King’s global upbringing fostered a deep foundational appreciation for art and culture in diverse countries. After earning his BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art, he began his career at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, where he ultimately served as Director of Programs.

In 1988, King was selected as the first professional director of the Katonah Museum of Art in New York, a non-collecting museum. There, he originated and organized four exhibitions annually, some of which traveled nationally and were recognized as singular contributions to the field. A selection of these includes Friends & Family: Portraiture in the World of Florine Stettheimer, Object as Insight: Japanese Buddhist Art and Ritual, The Intimate World of Edouard Vuillard, and Jacob Lawrence: the Early Decades. He also spearheaded a capital campaign to design and construct the museum’s new facility, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes.

From 1998 to 2011, King served as the founding director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of the permanent collection from 98 objects to just over 3,000. Beyond showcasing O’Keeffe’s works, the museum placed her in the broader context of American Modernism (1890 to the present) and originated numerous exhibitions featuring both O’Keeffe’s contemporaries as well as living artists whose work resonates with her aesthetic. He also established the country’s only research center dedicated to interdisciplinary practitioners of the modernist period, housed in a newly renovated building designed by Richard Gluckman. Under his leadership, the museum acquired and managed the artist’s two historic Northern New Mexico residences and studios, which were opened to the public on a limited basis. During his time at the O’Keeffe Museum, he also led an endowment campaign that successfully raised $35 million.

Following his tenure at the O’Keeffe Museum, King was appointed director of the American Federation of Arts in New York City, overseeing an international exhibition circulation program. As President of SNAP Editions, he currently manages and produces art museum and gallery publications while simultaneously operating King Art Advisory, leveraging decades of expertise to serve clients and institutions worldwide. Adding to his portfolio of skills, King earned his art appraiser’s certification in 2024 and maintains USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) compliance through July 2026. King is a member of the American Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and served on that board while he was an active art museum director. He currently serves on the Board of East Side Settlement House, Bronx, NY, and the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in Manhattan.