Naima J. Keith’s story begins in Los Angeles, where weekend museum trips with her mother planted the early seeds of curiosity that would shape her life’s work. Those experiences didn’t just introduce her to art, they taught her how powerful it can be when people see themselves reflected on the walls.

After studying art history at Spelman College and earning her master’s at UCLA, Naima’s journey took her from the Studio Museum in Harlem, where she helped redefine how Black artists are presented in contemporary art, to the California African American Museum, where as Deputy Director and Chief Curator, she reenergized exhibitions and made the museum a gathering place for new audiences.

Today, as Senior Vice President of Education, Public Programs and Regional Partnerships at LACMA, Naima leads with that same conviction that museums should be as dynamic and diverse as the city they serve. She oversees programs that connect hundreds of thousands of people to art each year, using storytelling, learning, and dialogue to make art feel personal and alive.

Her work extends beyond Los Angeles — as co-artistic director of Prospect.5 in New Orleans, she continues to champion artists and narratives that expand how we see culture. For Naima, every project is about one thing: opening doors, so that art can belong to everyone.