Welcome Miriam Machado, Director of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum.
Miriam Machado has been named director of The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University. A nationally recognized leader in museum education, Machado has served as interim director since June 2024 and has been a key member of the museum’s leadership team for more than 15 years.
“University museums are essential to advancing learning, research and community engagement,” said Elizabeth M. Béjar, FIU provost, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “With more than 15 years at FIU and a distinguished record in museum education, Miriam Machado brings both deep institutional knowledge and a forward-looking vision. Her leadership has already expanded the Frost Art Museum’s reach and relevance, and she is exceptionally well positioned to build on that momentum through innovation, interdisciplinary learning and a continued commitment to excellence.”
As director, Machado will advance the museum’s mission while supporting the university’s commitment to developing critical thinkers and problem-solvers. She will lead efforts to uphold the highest professional standards, including pursuing reaccreditation through the American Alliance of Museums, reinforcing excellence in collections stewardship, governance and public service. Her leadership will emphasize innovation, environmental resilience and student success, strengthening the Frost Art Museum’s role in academic excellence, research and community impact.
“I am deeply honored to serve as director of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum,” Machado said. “It is a privilege to build upon the strong foundation established by previous leadership and to carry this work forward with intention and purpose. To lead a university museum is to shape how knowledge is experienced through objects, exhibitions and shared encounters and to ensure that the arts remain central to life on campus.”
Throughout her tenure, Machado has strengthened the museum’s role as a dynamic cultural and academic resource. She has advanced innovative approaches to arts-based and interdisciplinary learning, expanded access to the museum’s collections and programs and deepened integration with FIU’s teaching and research mission.
Machado, who holds a master’s degree in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in art history and graduate certificate in project management from FIU, has been instrumental in elevating the museum’s impact. She led the national search that brought the Frost Art Museum’s new chief curator to FIU, reactivating the Emerging Artists Program and renewing its focus on supporting early‑career artists. She also developed STEAMworks, an initiative that connects the arts with science, technology, engineering and mathematics, reflecting her commitment to student-centered and experiential learning.
During a pivotal period of transition, Machado guided the development of a new strategic plan, strengthened governance and operations and advanced fundraising efforts, exceeding annual goals and securing support from donors, foundations and community partners.
“University art museums hold a profound responsibility as stewards of knowledge and spaces where ideas take shape,” she said. “At FIU, the Frost Art Museum is both an academic and cultural anchor, advancing scholarship, supporting student success and fostering meaningful engagement with art and ideas.”
