Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., executive director of the Albany Museum of Art, has been recognized by Georgia Trend magazine in its inaugural Georgia 500, a comprehensive list of 500 influential local leaders who are driving the state’s economy.

Wulf, who has served as executive director of the AMA since October 2019, was recognized in the Arts, Entertainment & Sports category. Wulf is leading a $34 million project that will result in the Albany Museum of Art relocating from its current location at 311 Meadowlark Drive to the former Belk department store in the 100 block of West Broad Avenue. The move will more than double the amount of usable space for the museum’s exhibitions, events, educational programs, and collections storage. The relocation also is seen as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Albany.

“It is a humbling honor to be included in Georgia Trend’s inaugural Georgia 500 cohort,” Wulf said. “I believe in the transformative power of the arts, for individuals and communities. The lion’s share of this recognition goes to the AMA’s team of extraordinary museum professionals. This honor motivates me to continue with the deepest commitment to this work, my team, our museum stakeholders, and Albany, Georgia itself, the place my family and I are delighted and proud to call home.”

In his column announcing the new list, Georgia Trend Publisher Ben Young said the Georgia 500 is a comprehensive list of local leaders throughout the state who are driving Georgia’s economy to new heights. Noting that Georgia Trend has experience in selecting the 100 most influential Georgians each year, the magazine was uniquely positioned for the effort, he said.

The Georgia 500 excludes current elected officials, and focuses on economic development and local investment, Young wrote. In addition to Arts, Entertainment & Sports, individuals were selected in the categories of Living Legends; Aerospace; Agribusiness; Automotive; Banking, Finance & Insurance; Communications & Media; Economic Development; Education; Energy & Utilities; Engineering & Construction; Government & Military; Healthcare; Hospitality & Tourism; Manufacturing; Non-Profits; Professional Services: Accounting, Consulting, Cybersecurity & Law; Real Estate; Retail & Wholesale; Technology & Research, and Transportation & Logistics.

“Squeezing this powerful story into 500 names was not easy,” Young wrote in his column, “but we learned a lot about Georgia through the process. It’s inspiring to see how so many leaders are working to make Georgia the great state it is, and we found many lessons that will extend into our ongoing editorial coverage. We know this list will make for a lot of fun conversation, and we look forward to hearing about who should be on it in future editions.”

Wulf came to Albany from Santa Fe, N.M., where he served as executive director of the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, in Santa Fe, N.M., from 2015-2019. Before that, he was the supervisory museum curator for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the U.S. National Archives, from 2010 until 2015.

A guest curator and lecturer at the Museum of Design in Atlanta in 2016, Wulf has led the development of original museum and special collections-based public programming, exhibitions, and publications. He was curator of exhibitions, special collections, at the University of Southern California, from 2004-2010, and at USC’s Fisher Museum of Art. Wulf interned as a curatorial assistant for the Museum Department at Skirball Museum and Cultural Center in Los Angeles (2004-2005), and volunteered as an assistant educator, Membership Department for Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom (2002-03), while a graduate student at the V&A and at the Courtauld Institute.