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In an interview with Invest:, Ena Heller, director and CEO of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, emphasized the museum’s renewed focus on community engagement and educational accessibility. “I want the museum to become a destination: a place to learn about art, reflect, escape the news cycle, and engage in meaningful ways.”
How does the arts and culture landscape in Palm Beach distinguish itself from other regions?
I began my academic and professional journey in New York City. I completed my Ph.D. in Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts, part of New York University. During graduate school, I worked at the Met, specifically in the Education Department at The Cloisters. This is my third museum directorship and my second one in Florida, so I bring a range of perspectives to the table.
I was the founding director of the Museum of Biblical Art in New York, a public institution, and later spent nearly 13 years as the director of the Rollins Museum of Art in Winter Park, Florida, an academic museum on a university campus. Now, I’m back at a public museum
Although I’ve only been in this role for four months, I’m somewhat familiar with the area — we’ve been visiting for 25 years since my in-laws had a winter home here. What I’ve observed so far is that Boca Raton and Palm Beach county have a highly sophisticated and philanthropic community. After 12 years in Central Florida, the vibe here feels more akin to New York — fast-paced, culturally engaged, and passionate about the arts. It’s no surprise that some call this area “the sixth borough.”
Additionally, the demographics have shifted significantly, especially since the pandemic. More people are living here year-round, and the community is getting younger. That presents an exciting opportunity to expand our audience and reclaim our identity as a true community museum, a space for everyone. This museum was built by the community, including local artists and art educators, and I want to reconnect with those roots. We can be a space of learning, conversation, and even refuge from the chaos of daily life.
Since stepping into this role in February 2025, what have your initial impressions been, not just of the museum but also of the broader region?
These first three months have been all about listening and building relationships. I’ve met with board members, supporters, city and county officials, and key members of the community. What I’ve found is a community eager to engage, perhaps more so than the museum’s current visibility reflects. That’s why I’ve spoken about “reclaiming our place.” Despite our 75-year history, many locals don’t know much about us, or they’ve heard of us but haven’t visited.
I want the museum to become a destination: a place to learn about art, reflect, escape the news cycle, and engage in meaningful ways. I believe we’re at an inflection point in museum culture. The traditional model, where people simply view art and accept its value based on curatorial authority, is no longer viable. Today’s audiences, especially younger ones, want interaction. They want their stories reflected in the work and want to co-create meaning during their visit.
I’m a big advocate for slowing down — putting down the phone — and engaging directly with art. But that engagement doesn’t have to be passive. It can involve drawing, music, writing, or any number of interactive experiences. These offer multiple entry points for different audiences. Museums shouldn’t just serve art lovers; they should welcome everyone, even those who may not initially be interested in art.
At Rollins, we worked to engage students across disciplines: science majors, business students, and more. We found ways to link art to psychology, history, and even business and healthcare. That same model can work here with the general public. My background in museum education, university teaching, and academic museums has taught me that education is the cornerstone of what museums do. Yes, we preserve collections, but we use those collections to educate.
What’s also unique here is that we have an art school connected to the museum, which is a rarity in the United States. Less than 20 museums nationwide still maintain that structure. Unfortunately, the museum and school currently function in separate silos. One of my goals is to better integrate them so that visitors to one recognize the value of the other.
Considering your emphasis on educational engagement, how is the museum working to build partnerships that will strengthen its community connections?
I’ve always believed that collaboration is essential, especially since I led smaller museums in the past. Here, we already have strong partnerships with both public and private schools, for example. We run after-school programs where our educators go into schools to teach art. We also have connections with retirement communities and the local government.
But there’s room to grow. I want to engage with other organizations: community centers, local art schools, clubs, and even other museums. There’s a rich cultural ecosystem here that we can tap into.
We’re also launching new initiatives, including the formation of special affiliate groups. For example, we’re developing a group for younger patrons who may not be collectors yet but want to learn more about the art world. These groups will have age-appropriate events that mix education with fun, like a date night at the museum. We did that at Rollins, and it worked well. Learning doesn’t always need to happen in a formal classroom setting.
Ultimately, I envision the museum as a community hub, a place where people come to socialize, relax, learn, and connect. We will be starting to launch some of these programs in the fall.
What are you mostly focused on at this time?
Accessibility is a major focus. We’re already using technology to help break down those barriers. For example, we’re part of Bloomberg Connect, a free app created by Michael Bloomberg’s foundation that allows museums to offer enhanced digital experiences. We’re looking to expand this to include a walking or driving tour of our public sculptures throughout the city, with layered audio commentary featuring diverse voices and perspectives.
We’re also working on a new interactive initiative launching this fall centered around a large mural in the museum’s lobby. The theme will be about perspective — inviting visitors to find or explore their own point of view through art. We’ll accompany that with a strong marketing campaign.
Financial access is another area we’re addressing. We already offer free memberships for students enrolled at local universities, but I’d like to go further and introduce a weekly free admission day or afternoon. We’re currently seeking sponsors to help make that happen.
What are your top priorities for the Boca Raton Museum of Art over the next three to five years?
I have two main priorities for the museum. First, increasing our visibility and expanding our audience base through all the initiatives we’ve discussed. Second, building our endowment. Right now, our endowment isn’t proportional to the scale and ambition of the museum, and that’s something we need to address for long-term sustainability.
I also want to foster deeper integration between the museum and the art school to create a more cohesive experience for our visitors and students.
My hope is that in three years, no one in Palm Beach County will be asking, “What’s the Boca Raton Museum of Art?” That’s my goal.
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