Krannert Art Museum (KAM) will have a new director starting in February 2018.

Jon Seydl, senior director of collections and programs and curator of European art at Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, will become KAM’s director, if approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

“(Seydl) brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be important for KAM’s outreach to students at the University,” said Julia Nucci Kelly, communications and marketing coordinator of KAM, in an email. “At his previous museum, he directed programs for students at 12 local colleges and universities.”

Nucci Kelly said Seydl’s lively, engaging personality and commitment to his work will ensure that the museum becomes more involved in the community.

“During a recent visit to campus, he had an opportunity to talk with some of our volunteers, and they were so interested in his ideas and the questions he asked about our work,” Nucci Kelly said.

Seydl’s appointment succeeds longtime museum director Kathleen Harleman, who retired in August of this year, Nucci Kelly said.

“She did amazing work at the museum for 13 years. It was quite a task to try and fill her shoes,” Nucci Kelly said. “It will be exciting to see what directions KAM will take in the years ahead as Jon Seydl begins in his role.”

[email protected]