The Contemporary Museum's executive director Georgianna Lagoria has announced her resignation effective Aug. 14. Lagoria is relocating to Los Angeles with her husband, David de la Torre, who has recently accepted a position as director of programs and chief curator for a new cultural center, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (LAPCA). De la Torre is executive director of Mission Houses Museum. Both have held leadership roles in the Hawaii arts community for nearly two decades.

Lagoria has directed The Contemporary Museum since the spring of 1995. In the more than 14 years she has been at the helm, the museum has established an endowment fund, opened a branch of the museum at First Hawaiian Center, developed exhibition and education programs of distinction, and dramatically grew the permanent collections. Most recently under her direction, the museum had embarked on a major capital campaign to build a new gallery for the permanent collection designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners. In advance of the construction, The Contemporary Museum has acquired two additional historic homes, all of which have earned the State of Hawaii Historic designation.

"Georgi has been the most loyal and hard-working executive director that any museum could have asked for and we have been very privileged to have had her at the helm for almost 15 years,” the museum’s board President Violet Loo said. However, family considerations must always take precedence. We will miss her tremendously."