43. Alex Nyerges

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Director

With the recent Picasso exhibit performing spectacularly as an economic driver ($30 million in local tourist dollars, according to one study), the director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts finds himself in a unique position: He’s an arts administrator — a creative — who holds tangible clout among the area business elite. The former director of the Dayton Art Institute can point to some undeniable accomplishments, not least of which is transforming Virginia’s leading museum — once derisively nicknamed “Fort Art” — into an inviting (and comfortable) public space. And the work’s not done. Although most of VMFA’s pricey renovation is complete, a new exhibit space is in the works to house the museum’s famous Fabergé collection.

2010 Ranking: N/A

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