Charlie Garling

Charlie Garling is the Director of Learning & Creativity at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, a newly expanded modern and contemporary art museum in Buffalo, New York.

He oversees audience engagement, interpretation, and the museum’s program suite, helping visitors have fun, accessible, and meaningful experiences with art and with each other.

Before this, Garling served as the inaugural Director of Studio Programs at the Detroit Institute of Arts. He set the vision for the museum’s creative practices and oversaw a robust array of artmaking programs developed with and for diverse audiences of all ages and abilities.

Prior to his role in museum leadership, Garling taught elementary art for 13 years and advised faculty and art educators on trends in the field as a member of the Art Education Advisory Council for the College for Creative Studies.

A passionate advocate for co-creation, he is motivated by the belief that individual and communal experiences with art act as heuristic vehicles for community well-being, personal growth, and the exploration and expression of identity.