Lauren Barnett (she/her) joined Art21 as Director of Development in September of 2018 with over ten years of non-profit experience. In May 2021, Lauren stepped into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Art21. Previously, Lauren was Director of Development at Delivering Good, a New York-based non-profit focusing on the needs of those affected by poverty and natural disaster where she helped fortify the fundraising program and start an Associate Council of young retail industry leaders. Prior to her role there, Lauren managed events and communications for the Center for Visual Art at MSU Denver, an award-winning gallery and interactive art laboratory serving MSU Denver students and the larger Denver community. She began her career at Royal Academy America (RAA), an organization based in New York which raises funds and awareness for the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London. During her time with RAA, Lauren grew membership stateside, planned international donor trips, and assisted colleagues at the RA with their capital campaign to expand the 250-year-old institution and link their Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens Galleries.

In addition to her non-profit experience, Lauren is a painter and comic artist. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post’s The Lily, and Harper’s Bazaar Korea, among others.