KANSAS CITY, Mo. (November 4, 2026) – The American Jazz Museum (AJM) Board of Directors has appointed Mohannad [mu-han-nad] Ghawanmeh [ga-wan-me], Ph.D, as the museum’s new executive director. The board voted unanimously after a national search by its Executive Search Committee drew more than 170 qualified candidates. Ghawanmeh will begin his tenure on December 1.
Ghawanmeh currently serves as president and executive director of Public Art Saint Paul, a nonprofit that partners with the City of Saint Paul, Minn., to place artists at the center of public spaces and civic life. There, he oversees the City Artist program and the Wakpa Triennial Art Festival. He also led the rejuvenation of Western Sculpture Park.
From 2020 to 2024, he was the executive director of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture in Philadelphia. In that role, he grew the organization’s staff and board, secured multiple large general operating grants, and served as artistic director for its performances, exhibitions and education programs. In 2023, the City of Philadelphia recognized him with an Arts and Culture Appreciation Award.
Ghawanmeh brings expansive global insight and a record of showcasing cultural heritage with contemporary audiences. In Philadelphia, he brought Arab arts and music to schools, parks and stages across the region. In Saint Paul, he refocused the Wakpa Triennial Art Festival around Indigenous traditions and Mississippi River history while opening it to local artists of every background.
“Ghawanmeh elicits unanimous support from our diverse board, a result of his bold experiences that will help the museum navigate a monumental restoration effort, and beyond,” said Stephenie Smith, board chair at AJM. “Encountering visionary leaders who speak a global language is a special and rare occasion. We are proud to collaborate with him to guide our multifaceted community and build on this historic arts and cultural gem.”
For nearly three decades, AJM has preserved the legacy of Black culture, jazz musicians, entrepreneurs and neighbors who made 18th & Vine the heart of Kansas City jazz, and the museum remains central to the city’s cultural identity. The 30th anniversary in 2027 marks an exciting time to continue the momentum under Ghawanmeh’s leadership, renewing the building and expanding the museum’s reach.
Ghawanmeh arrives as AJM advances its Restoration Project, a $3.5 million investment that is the museum’s first major investment in more than 25 years. It includes $3.2 million in public funds that the City Council of Kansas City, Mo., approved unanimously in February. Shaped by ongoing stakeholder engagement, the project will relocate and expand the Blue Room, updating lighting and acoustics for local musicians. Phase one of the restoration will also create a new café and expanded retail area, reorganizing exhibit spaces, including a new changing gallery. These updates mark the first steps of the museum’s long-term expansion vision, and a renaissance for one of the country’s jazz crossroads. AJM will share construction timelines and visitor information as the project moves forward.
“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the American Jazz Museum,” said Ghawanmeh. “Jazz has been a lifelong love, and Kansas City holds a central place in its story: its musicians, its venues and the community of 18th & Vine that sustained them. I accept this responsibility with gratitude, and I look forward to working alongside the museum’s stakeholders and the wider community to bring faithful, concerted and creative service to this extraordinary institution.”
Ghawanmeh earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato, followed by his Master of Science in multidisciplinary studies. He received his Ph.D. in cinema and media studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.
As executive director, Ghawanmeh will partner closely with the board of directors, staff, local musicians and patrons to lead the next chapter of jazz preservation, exhibition, and performance at 18th & Vine. That work will include new multimedia approaches that bring the sights and sounds of jazz to wider audiences, with the music always at the center. Jill Johnson, who serves as interim executive director and a passionate advocate for the AJM community, will support the transition through December.
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About American Jazz Museum
The mission of the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City is to celebrate and exhibit the experience of jazz as an original American art form through performance, exhibition, education, and research at one of the country’s jazz crossroads – 18th & Vine. As the only museum in the world solely focused on the preservation, exhibition and advancement of jazz music, the American Jazz Museum is dedicated to public service and collaborative efforts to expand the influence, awareness and appreciation of jazz among the widest demographic of people across the Kansas City region, as well as among those based in various locations worldwide. The American Jazz Museum has been a Smithsonian Affiliate since 2000. For a complete list of upcoming programs and performances, visit www.americanjazzmuseum.org.
For more information, contact:
Tavarus Pennington
tpennington@parriscommunications.com
816.931.8900