Margarita Aguilar has been appointed director of El Museo del Barrio, the museum announced today. Aguilar is currently a vice president and senior specialist in Latin American art at Christie's. She served in the curatorial department at El Museo from 1998 to 2006. Her appointment marks the end a yearlong search that began after former director Julian Zugazagoitia left the East Harlem institution to lead the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. Georgina M. Nichols, director of finance and administration, had been serving as interim director.

"El Museo has become a cultural force," Aguilar said in a statement. "I look forward to increasing our influence throughout the country and the world, as we also deepen our ties to our community here in El Barrio." 

Aguilar will certainly have her work cut out for her. Recently, the museum has struggled financially in the wake of a 10 percent cut in funding from New York City and decreased private donations. Last month, the museum fired four of its 51 staff members, including communications officer Ines Aslan, and announced that it would reduce summer programming and lengthen the durations of exhibitions to save money. The museum completed an extensive renovation, including a new glass façade and a redesigned courtyard, in 2009.

Aguilar specializes in American, Latin American, and Latino photography. During her eight-year tenure at El Museo, she helped curate exhibitions including "Points of View," a show of photography from the museum's permanent collection, and "Mexico: The Revolution and Beyond, Photographs by Casasola 1900-1940."

"Margarita brings a unique combination of proven curatorial excellence and a long connection with El Museo, as well as a broad perspective on the Latin American art world, to her new position as director," Tony Bechara, chair of the museum's board of trustees, said in a statement. "We are delighted to welcome her back."