Deborah Schwartz

Deborah Schwartz is a nationally recognized museum educator and an independent consultant, focused on good governance, education, community partnerships, and mission driven planning. She is recognized for her ability to transform organizations from dust-covered to bright, collaborating frequently with communities who have all-too-often been left out of the cultural narrative.

From 2006 to 2020 Ms. Schwartz was President of Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS,) a one hundred-fifty-five-year-old urban history center. In 2020, Ms. Schwartz successfully led the effort to merge BHS with the Brooklyn Public Library. She was Deputy Director for Education at the Museum of Modern Art from 2002 to 2006, and in 2001 she curated the critically acclaimed exhibition, Art Inside Out for the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Ms. Schwartz was Vice Director for Education and Program Development at the Brooklyn Museum from 1983 to 2000.

Ms. Schwartz has taught graduate seminars on museum leadership at NYU and Columbia. Internationally, she has offered workshops in China and the Ukraine. She has authored numerous articles about community building in museums, most recently contributing to Marsha Semmel’s Partnership Power, Essential Museum Strategies for Today’s Networked World. She has an essay in the upcoming book, Seize the Moment: How Museums Can Prepare for the Post-Pandemic Age, edited by Avi Decter, Marsha Semmel, and Ken Yellis (publication date 2022.)