The Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolishas appointed Gwendolyn Freed as its 20th president, the college announced Thursday.

After a national search, MCAD’s board of trustees unanimously voted for Freed’s appointment, which goes into effect June 1. She will be the successor to current President Sanjit Sethi, a position he has held since 2019.

“We sought a leader who is poised to deepen campus engagement, amplify our brand, strengthen financial resources, and sustain our commitments to educating future creative leaders,” Chris Barry, co-chair of the search committee, said in a statement. “Gwen is clearly that person.”

Freed holds music degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School, as well as a doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota. Early in her career, she was an arts writer for publications like The Wall Street Journal and the Star Tribune and was awarded a National Arts Journalism Fellowship at Columbia University for her work.

Her higher education leadership roles include vice president for marketing and communication at Gustavus Adolphus College, vice president of institutional advancement at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and interim director of the University of Minnesota’s School of Music. She also teaches in the university’s graduate program in arts and cultural leadership and at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

“I wholeheartedly embrace MCAD’s mission and values, and I am ready to dedicate myself to the college’s continued momentum and success,” Freed said in the statement. “As we look ahead to MCAD’s sesquicentennial and beyond, I will be focused on our growth, sustainability and flourishing.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported in September that Sethi announced via email that he would step down at the end of the academic year, stating: "After five transformative years, the board of trustees and I have come to an understanding that our vision for the future of the college has evolved and diverged. Consequently the 2024/25 academic year will be my final year at MCAD.”

MCAD is a private visual arts college in south Minneapolis that was founded in 1886; 800 students from 45 states and 15 countries currently attend the school, according to the college's website.