The most distinguished and highest arts honors in France has been bestowed upon Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Julián Zugazagoitia for his exceptional contributions to furthering arts and culture in France and throughout the world. This honor, Commander of the French Order of Arts and Letters, recognizes Zugazagoitia’s lifetime achievements and was presented in Kansas City in early June.

In March 2005, Zugazagoitia was initially received into the Order of Arts and Letters (L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres) at the level of Knight, the first of three degrees of merit: Knight (Chevalier), Officer (Officier), and Commander (Commandeur). He received the title Officer in a Paris ceremony in 2014, and his promotion to Commander is a testament to his expanding impact on the art world.

The Order of Arts and Letters(Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) was established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize eminent individuals who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts. Commander of the French Order of Arts and Letters is the highest rank of this order.

The medal was presented to Zugazagoitia by Yannick Tagand, Consul General of France in Chicago, at a private ceremony in Kansas City.

 “Since 2010, as Director of this amazing institution, your special relationship with France has remained, and perhaps become, more than ever, a guiding thread in your path,” said Tagand. “You have been a passionate advocate for French artists and an eloquent voice for French art history. You’ve published widely and continuously brought French creativity to the forefront. We have a shared ambition: to build the future of Franco-American relations not only through institutions, but through people, whose individual journeys forge enduring and meaningful bonds.”

Zugazagoitia was visibly moved when accepting the medal.

“I cannot begin to express what an honor it is to receive this distinction, a recognition I accept with deep humility and profound gratitude,” he said. “This medal ties together two places that have defined who I am: France and Kansas City. It feels like a reaffirmation- Kansas City is not only our home, but our Paris of the Plains.” 

Since becoming the Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins in 2010, Zugazagoitia has opened the museum to a much larger audience, has increased attendance to more than half a million annually, and has promoted a high level of scholarship with unique exhibitions and programs that highlight both the collection and the strengths of the curatorial and education teams. His international perspective resulted in exhibitions as diverse as Through the Eyes of Picasso, named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the country’s best exhibitions of 2017, Niki de Saint Phalle: Rebellion and Joy, the first full career U.S. retrospective of the French American avant-garde artist, and the enormously popular Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He champions community involvement as well as artist commissions, such as Elias Crespin’s Grand Hexanet. Under Zugazagoitia’s leadership, an expansion plan has been embarked upon that will better serve the community and position the Nelson-Atkins to meet the future needs of artists and audiences.

Zugazagoitia holds an Art History degree from the École du Louvre and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Sorbonne Paris IV, with a focus on Aesthetics and Modernism in the arts. His work as a consultant, lecturer and curator has involved projects around the globe with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Executive Assistant to the Director for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. During his tenure at El Museo del Barrio, a leading museum of Latino and Latin American art, Zugazagoitia led the institution through a $44 million capital campaign and a full renovation, which opened in 2009 to critical acclaim.