Chelsea Farrar Director, University of Arizona Museum of Art
Curator of Community Engagement

Chelsea Farrar began serving as the permanent director of the University of Arizona Museum of Art on Feb. 16, 2026, following a four-month period as the interim director.

During her tenure as interim director, Farrar successfully secured multiple gifts totaling over $500,000 in new philanthropic support for the Museum. Her ability to build authentic, clear, and caring relationships with donors shows her operational fluency and readiness to guide the museum.

Under Farrar’s direction, UAMA reopened to the public on Jan. 17 with a transformative policy change: free admission for all. This new approach reinforces UAMA’s commitment to accessibility and public service.

Farrar began as the assistant curator of education in 2013, then for the past 10 years, assumed the role of curator of community engagement.

Farrar cultivates strategic partnerships for on- and off-site activities and initiatives between the museum, community, faculty, and students. Her work with community engagement through the arts includes creating meaningful engagements through programs like Art Sprouts and Mapping Q.

She also curates community-based exhibitions in the Our Stories gallery working in partnership with faculty, artists, and local community organizations in order to amplify underserved artistic voices. Prior to the UAMA she taught high school visual art, art history and theater arts in Tucson, Arizona. Chelsea holds an M.A. in art education from the University of Arizona School of Art.