Eilertsen tapped to lead Napa’s di Rosa Center

Kate Eilertsen has been named acting executive director of the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art.

Eilertsen, a Sonoma Valley resident, comes to the Napa art center after having led several regional and national arts-based institutes – including serving as executive director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art from 2009 to 2015.

Eilertsen said that after seeing how committed the staff, docents, board of directors and other volunteers are toward di Rosa’s success, she’s “honored to join the team.”

“Di Rosa is a magical place with so much potential,” said Eilertsen in an announcement. “Its rich history, stunning setting and significant collection make it stand out among the Bay Area’s cultural institutions.”

The previous director, Robert Sain, transitioned to “director emeritus” status on May 1, when the art facility closed to the public for the remainder of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eilertsen began her museum work at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, before moving to Boston where she opened a new museum for the Harvard University Art Museums.

It was upon moving to San Francisco that she began to put her stamp on the Bay Area art scene, taking up such positions as Director of Intersection for the Arts, Director of the Museum of Craft and Folk Art and Acting Director of Visual Arts for Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Eilertsen came to di Rosa under a consulting contract to be di Rosa’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, in spring of 2020. She is curating the organization’s first major exhibition slated to open in 2021 after the art center’s current temporary closure. “The Incorrect Museum: Vignettes from the di Rosa Collection” will invite visitors to step into stories that illustrate the Bay Area’s distinctive artistic legacy and will showcase many beloved and seldom seen collection artworks, according to a di Rosa description of the exhibit.

Board co-chair Linda Fine said that after having worked with Eilertsen in her curatorial role the past few months, board members “quickly discovered how much more she has to offer.”

“We’re delighted to have someone with Kate’s broad skillset and depth of experience to guide the organization in these unprecedented times,” said Fine.