Ian Eckert

Ian Eckert is MoMA’s Associate Director of Collection and Exhibition Information, the department primarily responsible for administering and maintaining the institution’s collection database. He joined MoMA in 2006 as a member of the IVR department and transitioned to his current department in 2007. During his first seven years, he held every position within CEI until he was appointed department head in 2013.

Since then, Eckert has overseen the migration of the entirety of the Department of Film’s collection, the Museum Archive Image Database (MAID), and the full exhibition histories of MoMA and MoMA PS1. Eckert and his team have worked to expand both access to and the capabilities of the Museum’s collection management system, working with nearly every department across the institution to create and streamline workflows and reporting, and leveraging the wealth of data to help inform decisions about collection stewardship, exhibition planning, and a variety of other critical projects. He has also recently begun guest lecturing at New York University, sharing his knowledge of collection and exhibition management with graduate students interested in professions at cultural institutions. Eckert received a BFA (2003) in studio art from Penn State University, and an MFA (2006) in studio art/time-based media from University of Pennsylvania.