Rachel Goslins

Rachel Goslins’ distinguished career spans over twenty-five years of experience in the cultural sector, creative industries, social impact and law. Goslins comes to MCAAD from the Smithsonian Institution, where she has been the director of the Arts and Industries Building (AIB) since 2016. During her tenure she led the revitalization and reopening of the museum, closed to the public for over a decade, as a space to explore creativity, innovation and the future.  She created and launched multiple new events and programs, including the blockbuster FUTURES exhibition, the Smithsonian’s first major exploration of the future spanning art, design, history, technology and innovation. As the director of AIB Goslins led multi-disciplinary curatorial, design, programming and educational teams to create cutting-edge museum experiences, and served on the Smithsonian’s advisory committees for digital transformation. She is also a frequent public speaker on the power of arts and culture in the 21st century, appearing at SXSW, the Aspen Ideas Festival, TEDx, Ars Electronica, and in such outlets as “CBS Sunday Morning,” The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal.

Prior to the Smithsonian, Goslins served the White House as the Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, an advisory committee to President Obama on cultural policy. Under her management, the Committee launched major national initiatives in education and cultural diplomacy, facilitated federal and private funding for cultural programs across the country, and spearheaded a high-profile campaign using artists, actors and musicians as advocates for arts education.

Before joining the White House, Goslins was an award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer, directing feature documentaries and working on productions for PBS, HBO, Discovery, National Geographic and History. She was also the director of the Independent Digital Distribution Lab, a joint PBS/ITVS project.

Goslins began her career as an international copyright attorney. She received her bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her Juris Doctorate from UCLA’s School of Law. She is a Trustee for the Greater Washington Community Foundation, an Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond, VA, and a 2012 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

“I am thrilled to be joining MCAAD as they pioneer new ways to help more people achieve their dreams. Expanding access to opportunity in this country is a critical effort and I am eager to help build an institution that catalyzes impact in that area through powerful storytelling, dynamic programs and smart thought leadership.”