Print Center New York has named Yukiko Yamagata as its new executive director. She began the role on 9 November, becoming only the third leader in the nonprofit's thirty-one-year history. She succeeds Judy Hecker, whose ten-year tenure ended in February.

Yamagata arrives with more than two decades of experience across philanthropy, curating, photography and public art. She spent the past twenty-two months at Creative Time, the New York public art organisation, first as deputy director and then as interim executive director during a leadership transition. Before that she led global arts, culture and photography programmes at Open Society Foundations, and held curatorial and research posts at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

She was chosen after a national search run by the board's search committee, according to board chair David Sabel. Chief curator Jenn Bratovich had served as acting executive director since June, and will work closely with Yamagata going forward.

Print Center New York is a nonprofit devoted to printmaking through exhibitions, public programmes, education and artist development. Based in Chelsea at 535 West 24th Street, it recently marked twenty-five years since opening its first physical space. Yamagata holds an MBA from NYU Stern, where she specialised in strategy and sustainable business, and a BA in art history and women's studies from Barnard College. She is also an executive board member of Peace is Loud and Women Photograph.

The centre also runs a New Voices programme supporting emerging printmakers, alongside its exhibitions, public programmes and education work. Its ground-floor Chelsea gallery has become a meeting point for artists, printers and publishers who work with print as a primary medium rather than a sideline.