Michael Zakian

Michael Zakian (April 7, 1957^[1]-January 14, 2020^[2]) was an American art historian and museum curator. He was the director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum in Malibu, California for 25 years until his death in 2020. His academic research focused on abstract expressionism.

Michael Zakian
Born	(1957-04-07)April 7, 1957 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 20, 2020(2020-01-20) (aged 62)
Nationality	American
Academic background
Alma mater	Columbia University School of the Arts
Academic work
Institutions	Pepperdine University

Early life and education

Michael Zakian was born in New York City in 1957. As a child, he visited museums, including the Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. These visits instilled Zakian's interest in the visual arts. He attended Columbia University and earned his bachelor's degree in art history. Next, he earned his master's degree and doctorate, while serving as a teaching assistant, in art history from Rutgers University. His focus was abstract expressionism.^[1]

Career

...my primary goal is education. I’m not just showing beautiful things to be admired for their own inherent beauty. I always emphasize that this art was made to convey certain ideas or make a particular point . . . we use our eyes all the time, but often we really don’t see what is in front of us.

— Michael Zakian, Pepperdine University, 2015^[2]

In 1995, Zakian became the director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum at Pepperdine University. He also was an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University's Seaver College.^[2]

Later life and legacy

Zakian died in January 2020.^[2]

Zakian's papers are held in the collection of Pepperdine University.^[1]

References

1. "Michael Zakian Papers". Online Archive of California. Pepperdine University. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
2. Today, Fine Art (21 January 2020). "Honoring the Life of Museum Director Michael Zakian". Fine Art Connoisseur. Retrieved 11 July 2022.

External links

• "Pepperdine Mourns the Loss of Weisman Museum Director Michael Zakian" from Pepperdine University
• "Michael Zakian on Richard Diebenkorn: Beginnings, 1942–1955" from the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation