NAMM has announced the appointment of Katherine Palmer as the new executive director of the Museum of Making Music (MoMM), effective summer 2026. The announcement comes as MoMM executive director Carolyn Grant concludes her storied NAMM career which included leading the museum since its inception in 2000.
An accomplished museum leader, arts educator and musician, Palmer joins MoMM from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn., where she currently serves as senior director of education and community engagement. In that role, she has led the institution’s educational and public engagement initiatives, including management of the Taylor Swift Education Center.
At the Museum of Making Music, Palmer will lead the museum’s mission to celebrate and advance the history, impact and future of the music products industry and active music making through exhibitions, educational initiatives and public programming.
“Katherine brings an extraordinary blend of museum leadership, music education and community engagement experience to the Museum of Making Music,” said John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM. “Her passion for connecting people through music as well as her innovative approach to educational programming make her exceptionally well suited to guide the museum into its next chapter.”
Prior to her work in Nashville, Palmer served as curator of education at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, where she helped shape educational programming for audiences of all ages. She has also held leadership roles in international arts and conservation education initiatives, including serving as executive director of the Daraja Music Initiative in Tanzania.
“Music museums have the unique ability to connect generations, cultures and communities through shared experiences,” Palmer said. “The Museum of Making Music has built an incredible legacy of storytelling and engagement, and I’m honored to join the NAMM family and help shape the museum’s future while expanding its impact and accessibility for audiences everywhere.”
Passionate about early childhood education and world music, Palmer was awarded the 2021 Gretsch Fellow in Children’s Music at the Fred Rogers Institute at St. Vincent College where she investigated how diverse music making and listening can promote empathy and cultural awareness. Find her white paper, “Expanding the Neighborhood: Diversifying Music Making and Listening, Inspired by Fred Rogers” here.
Palmer holds degrees in music performance and ethnomusicology from the University of Miami and Arizona State University and continues to serve as a faculty associate in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University.
The announcement comes as longtime Museum of Making Music Executive Director Carolyn Grant prepares to conclude her NAMM career in summer 2026 following 28 years with the organization.
“Carolyn’s leadership helped shape the Museum of Making Music into the vibrant institution it is today,” said Julia Rubio, executive director of The NAMM Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for her contributions and excited to welcome Katherine, who brings incredible expertise in curating and museum education as well as years of progressive museum and nonprofit management proficiency.”
The Museum of Making Music, a program of The NAMM Foundation, serves as a dynamic forum for musical storytelling, concerts, exhibitions and educational programming. Since opening in 2000, the museum has welcomed more than 1 million visitors and students through its public programs and exhibitions.
Learn more about The NAMM Foundation at www.nammfoundation.org.
