René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay’s Head of Curatorial Affairs, announces retirement

Barilleaux to retire in September after two decades with the institution

SAN ANTONIO (June 26, 2025) – René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay Art Museum’s head of curatorial affairs, has announced that he will retire September 19. Recognized for his collaborative approach and innovative presentation techniques, Barilleaux has served in his current role since 2017. He joined the McNay as curator of contemporary art in 2005 and served as chief curator from 2006-2016.

“It is with profound gratitude that the McNay Art Museum shares news of René Paul Barilleaux’s retirement,” said Matthew McLendon, director and CEO of the McNay. “René has made an immeasurable impact on the McNay. From his many thought-provoking exhibitions to his leadership in expanding the Museum collection, René has worked to create experiences that resonate with our community and engage audiences in unexpected ways. We thank him for his many years of service and congratulate him on this milestone.”

Barilleaux has worked as a curator for more than 40 years. Prior to the McNay, he held roles at the Mississippi Museum of Art, the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Madison Art Center in Wisconsin and the Museum of Holography in New York. With a background in studio practice, Barilleaux’s curatorial interests have been consistently artist-centric, with a special focus on the work of artists outside of the mainstream or at mid- and late-career.

“Throughout my career, I’ve remained most interested in working and collaborating with living artists. I’m grateful to the McNay Art Museum for trusting my vision and supporting impactful artists that are experimenting, taking risks and creating art that is meaningful to the time we live in,” said Barilleaux. “It’s been an honor to collaborate with so many talented people during my career at the McNay. I want to thank my wonderful colleagues, artistic partners and the San Antonio community for your support over the past two decades.”

During Barilleaux’s tenure at the McNay, he was instrumental in the development of new focus areas for collecting including photo-based artworks and installation art. He was also responsible for strengthening the Museum’s postwar and contemporary art collection in both range and quantity. Barilleaux oversaw the acquisition of over 200 works of modern and contemporary art, including works by Deborah Butterfield, John Chamberlain, vanessa german, Sam Gilliam, Martine Gutierrez, Robert Indiana, Whitfield Lovell, Donald Moffett, Sandy Skoglund, Kiki Smith and Carrie Mae Weems, among others.

Barilleaux has produced numerous exhibitions through his roles at the McNay, featuring solo presentations by artists including Derrick Adams, Lynda Benglis, Teresita Fernández, Judith Godwin, Jane Hammond, Joseph Marioni, Rashaad Newsome, Chuck Ramirez, Dario Robleto and others. His exhibitions and publications have won awards, including an Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) Award of Excellence in 2020 for “Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today.”

Recent banner exhibitions presented under Barilleaux’s leadership include “Michael Tracy: The Elegy of Distance,” “Sport and Spectator,” “de la Torre Brothers: Upward Mobility” and “True Believers: Benny Andrews & Deborah Roberts.” He is currently collaborating with artist Sandy Skoglund on “Enchanting Nature.” Opening in September, the exhibition takes a novel approach in presenting Skoglund’s artistic practice and will feature iconic environments created by the artist, including a never-before-exhibited installation. As Barilleaux’s final project at the McNay, he is organizing a wide-ranging survey of contemporary art, drawing from collection artworks acquired during his tenure. “20 Years of Collecting Contemporary Art” will open March 27, 2026, and feature over 100 works organized around the basic elements of design, including visitor favorites, fanciful tableau, playful sculptures and a haunting photographic installation.

Barilleaux earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (University of Southwestern Louisiana) and a Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. He was named a 2015 fellow for the Center for Curatorial Leadership and a 2016 mentor for the AAMC’s mentorship program. He currently serves as chair of the San Antonio Arts Commission.

“René Paul Barilleaux’s contributions to the McNay Art Museum will echo for generations to come,” said David Oppenheimer, president of the McNay’s Board of Trustees. “His forward-thinking leadership and spirit of collaboration have made him a trusted partner to the Board in shaping the Museum’s strategic direction and artistic vision. René’s ability to align curatorial excellence with institutional priorities has played a vital role in elevating the McNay’s impact in San Antonio and beyond. We thank René for his extraordinary service and wish him every success in his next chapter.”

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About McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts. Built in the 1920s by artist and educator Marion Koogler McNay, the Spanish Colonial Revival residence became the site of Texas’ first modern art museum when it opened in 1954. Today, 200,000 visitors a year enjoy works by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The 45,000-square-foot Jane & Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions, designed by internationally renowned French architect Jean-Paul Viguier, features major exhibitions annually. The 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds include sculptures by Willie Cole, Robert Indiana, Luis A. Jiménez Jr., Alejandro Martín, George Rickey, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, Tom Wesselmann and others. For more information about the McNay, visit www.mcnayart.org.

The McNay is open Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.