The Hammer Museum at UCLA has announced two significant leadership appointments. Michael Wellen will become chief curator, while Regan Pro is set to take on the newly created position of chief of learning, engagement and research.
Both Wellen and Pro will report to Hammer Director Zoë Ryan. They join the museum’s senior leadership team, which also includes Naoko Takahatake, director and chief curator of the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. This group will be responsible for guiding the museum’s exhibitions, collections, scholarship, and public programs.
Wellen is currently senior curator of international art at Tate Modern. Since 2016, he has organized solo exhibitions for artists such as Canadian painter Philip Guston in 2023 and British artist Lubaina Himid in 2021. He also co-curated a retrospective on Greek sculptor Takis in 2019 with Guy Brett. Wellen is preparing an exhibition on Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta that is scheduled to open in 2026. In his new role at the Hammer Museum, he will oversee contemporary exhibitions and collections as well as manage museum publications and staff teams.
Regan Pro most recently served as inaugural deputy director of public programs and social impact at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. She previously worked over a decade at the Seattle Art Museum as Kayla Skinner deputy director of education and public engagement, where she led efforts focused on learning, access, and community partnerships. At the Hammer Museum, Pro will lead strategies for public programs, community collaborations, and educational initiatives across K–12 schools, families, and universities.
“Michael and Regan bring deep commitments to artists, audiences, scholarship, and experimentation,” said Ryan. “Their leadership will strengthen the Hammer’s impact locally and internationally.”
Wellen is set to begin his role on April 6; Pro will start March 2.
