Michael Shapiro stepping down as director of High Museum

After 15 years as director of the High Museum of Atlanta, Michael Shapiro will step down at the end of July.

Shapiro has been a major force in the growth of the Museum's collections, endowment, membership and international collaborations over the past two decades that he has served in leadership positions at the High. He also oversaw the expansion of the campus by architect Renzo Piano, which consisted of three buildings totaling 177,000 square feet.

The High Museum announced Wednesday morning that Shapiro's last day will be July 31, 2015.

The High's board will form a search committee to conduct a national and international search for the Museum's next director.

"It has been a privilege to be at the helm of the High for the past 15 years, and to help shape the vision and future of Atlanta's art museum," Shapiro said in a statement. Shapiro's official title is the High's Nancy and Holcombe T. Green Jr. director.

"From leading the expansion and transformation of our campus in 2005 to developing groundbreaking collaborations, such as 'Louvre Atlanta,' the High has been transformed from a regional powerhouse into a nationally and internationally recognized institution," Shapiro continued. "I am exceptionally grateful to be part of a team of such smart, committed individuals whose hard work and scholarship have contributed to the High's success."

The statement went on to say that since joining the High's leadership team in 1995 and his subsequent appointment as director in 2000, Shapiro has led the High through unprecedented institutional growth.

Shapiro has nearly doubled the number of works in the High's permanent collection; pursued a dedicated strategy to partner with museums around the world to advance scholarship by bringing masterpieces to the United States, many for the first time; spearheaded the High's expansion by Renzo Piano that created a "village for the arts" in Midtown Atlanta; and dramatically increased the reach and impact of the Museum's education programming and accessibility for school children and diverse audiences.

Maria Saporta covers non-profits and philanthropy