From “threshold anxiety” to “local roots, global impact,” McNay Director & CEO Matthew McLendon shares how a pioneering San Antonio spirit—and a punk-rock dose of courage—shapes a museum where everyone can belong.
Editor-in-Chief Ellie Morrison sits down inside Marian Koogler McNay’s former home with Matthew McLendon, Director & CEO of the McNay Art Museum, to explore how a century-old gateway to the city still leads the way. McLendon traces his path from the performing arts to curatorial work in London and UVA, to finding a perfect professional home at the McNay—where the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, modernist foundations, and contemporary practice unite his “three lives under one roof.” He unpacks the museum’s guiding idea of “local roots, global impact,” explaining why curating for San Antonians (while welcoming voices from around the world) elevates local and regional artists alongside internationally recognized names.
The conversation dives into museums as trusted civic spaces, how design and programming reduce “threshold anxiety,” and why fun, joy, and discovery are serious business for cultural institutions. McLendon previews exhibitions (including immersive installations by Sandy Skoglund and a 20-year survey of collecting under retiring Curatorial lead René Paul Barilleaux), and makes a simple ask to the city he now calls home: become a member—and bring a friend. Whether you’re an artist, a cultural connector, or just museum-curious, this episode reveals how San Antonio’s authentic kindness powers a museum that belongs to everyone.
