Dear Members of the Yale School of Art Community,
We are pleased to announce that the Yale Corporation has approved the reappointment of Kymberly Pinder, professor of art, as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Dean of the Yale School of Art for a second term of five years, effective July 1, 2026. This renewal recognizes Dean Pinder’s success in strengthening the school’s organizational structure, securing transformative support for the student experience, and forging strategic collaborations that elevate the school’s reputation.
In her five-year tenure, Dean Pinder has fortified the School of Art’s operational structure to support a robust faculty and student experience. Under her leadership, the school has grown its faculty and staff capacity, making it possible to open a dedicated space for Yale College art majors at 53 Broadway and to reopen 32 Edgewood as a gallery. Meanwhile, the graduate school curriculum has expanded to include instruction in key areas such as financial literacy and grant writing, improving students’ preparedness for lives and careers in the field. Additionally, a new faculty affairs portfolio has led to increased support for non-tenure-track faculty research.
Since 2021, the School of Art has enhanced arts education and community building. Under Dean Pinder’s leadership, the school has hosted Interdepartmental Day, offering to students and faculty courses, critiques, and programming that foster interdisciplinary learning and exchange. School-wide initiatives—including an annual reading exercise, convocation, and weekly wellness gatherings—have built community among faculty, students, and staff.
Dean Pinder has also demonstrated exceptional commitment to fundraising for financial aid and new academic opportunities. She has overseen the launch of an ambitious campaign to make the master of fine arts (M.F.A.) program debt-free for all students with demonstrated financial need, a vision that redefines access to graduate arts education. To date, she has raised $13 million and secured funding to support twenty scholarships and an additional twenty student opportunities, including awards and residencies for artists in locations such as Singapore, Lagos, and Italy. As of 2023, every M.F.A. student receives funds to help realize their thesis exhibition.
Across Yale and within New Haven, Dean Pinder has formed dynamic partnerships, positioning the School of Art as an active catalyst in local civic life and urgent global conversations. Most recently, she taught a class that culminated in Yale College students designing and installing a mural at the Yale Peabody Museum, drawing on contributions from New Haven residents. In collaboration with the School of Management, she also opened a new community gallery space at 63 Audubon. This new venue features community- and student-organized exhibitions and connects the university to New Haven’s vibrant arts district.
Dean Pinder’s commitment to community engagement is further exemplified by the School of Art’s collaboration with the School of the Environment, the School of Architecture, and the city of New Haven. With grant funding from Yale Planetary Solutions, these partners have installed public murals around the city, drawing attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on under-resourced communities. Their initiatives also include a mural-making apprenticeship program for local artists.
We are grateful to everyone who provided input to the reappointment review process. Many of you who contacted us remarked on Dean Pinder’s expansive commitment to creating community within the School of Art, at the university, and in New Haven. We also heard consistent praise for Dean Pinder’s visionary and inspirational leadership. Students specifically commented on her accessibility and advocacy on their behalf, and faculty, staff, and alumni commended her work toward the school’s goal of offering a debt-free M.F.A. and, eventually, a tuition-free program. Many remarked on her humanistic values and deep understanding of the significance of the arts in higher education and in the world overall.
Dean Pinder’s first term as dean has demonstrated her devotion to the School of Art community and its ongoing excellence. Please join us in congratulating her on her reappointment and thanking her for her willingness to continue serving the school and Yale.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art
Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry